URSULINE COLLEGE
Sister Kathleen Burke came to France and Germany with us on one of our pilgrimages. She returned home dedicated to getting a labyrinth on the campus of Ursuline College, where she lived and taught. Ultimately, it came to pass.
The best cost-to-value for permanent labyrinths is concrete. The pattern can be put onto or into the concrete in a number of ways, including painting it on the surface with a special acrylic resin guaranteed to last for 10 years. That's what we did. I drew the pattern and painted most of it, with some help from volunteers.
Top photo: Painting with special acrylic resin that shrinks by 50% when drying and is extremely thin. Yet, it's surprisingly durable.
Lower photo: It's hard to take a photo of a labyrinth at ground level, but the landscaping shows pretty well.
Ultimately, to improve the look of the concrete, they decided to paint the paths as well. I have not seen the labyrinth since then. It is approaching 10 years of age, so the resin may now be fading. When making the labyrinth, 10 years seems like a lot. But it comes around surprisingly fast. Our polymer concrete and granite resin technologies are far more durable and more appropriate for institutions that want low maintenance and longevity.
