While I’ve always felt getting out into nature has always been beneficial to my physical, emotional, and physical health, as a Catholic Christian (far from perfect I might add), I have found a few spots out and about in Fayette County where my spiritual life has been nurtured in the outdoors. So I thought I’d share them.
While these spots are specific to Christianity, some of these areas (or really anywhere in nature), may nurture various other religions and/or meditation or mindfulness practices.
So let’s get into some spots I’ve come across.
Jumonville Christian Camp
Jumonville Christian Camp is a private Christian camp that offers camps, retreats, and events, but the grounds are open to the public. I love this gem in Fayette County which offers many recreation opportunities. Check out this post for a closer look at Jumonville.
There are multiple opportunities for outdoor prayer here. First, the most popular activity is likely the hike to the cross on the top of the mountain. You can get all the details for the hike to the cross in this post.
Secondly, Jumonville offers a prayer walk using a prayer guide with meditative stations. The first station is located near the playground.
Another prayer opportunity is a prayer labyrinth located on the hiking trail in the Kingwood Area on the way to Green Cathedral.
Lastly, I personally find Green Cathedral a beautiful and serene place to spend some time in silence.
Similar to Jumonville is another Christian camp called Laurelville located just outside of Fayette County that I haven’t visited yet, but would like to explore someday.
Outdoor Stations of the Cross
Sometimes my kids are a handful in church, so I have taken them to pray stations of the cross outdoors. One of my favorite stations of the cross books is from Catholic Sprouts.
One set of outdoor stations is located in the parking lot at St. Joseph Parish in Uniontown.
A second set of stations is located at St. Aloysius in Dunbar, PA. The stations are large wooden crosses that begin behind the statue of Padre Pio and ascend up a mountain. This is an upward hike if you aren’t used to hiking, but if you are up for it, there’s a beautiful view at the top.
Mt Macrina
Mt Macrina is another gem in Fayette County. It is private property belonging to Sisters of St. Basil and features a nursing home, cemetery, a religious gift shop, and more, but the grounds are beautiful and open to the public until sunset.
It’s a beautiful place to take a walk with a nice view of the mountains and features many inspiring places to spend time in prayer.
I typically start my walk near the back of the mansion. I’ve gone here for years but only recently learned from a friend that there is a banyan tree near the mansion.
I tend to continue the road toward the nursing home and loop down near the pond and back up through the cemetery. Another beautiful spot to check out is the St. Anne’s Shrine located near the pond.
There is also a beautiful chapel to spend some time in quiet prayer near the religious gift shop.
Labyrinth
Outside of Fayette County in Morgantown, we have also enjoyed a labyrinth in West Virginia Botanic Garden.
That concludes my list of outdoor prayer areas I’ve come across in Fayette County, PA. If you have anything to add, please leave a comment.