St. John’s Episcopal Church will dedicate a new labyrinth during a ceremony that is open to the public at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11 at 105 State St., one block south of The Heathman Hotel in downtown Kirkland.

The labyrinth, painted on the east parking lot of the church, was a gift from a member of the congregation who recently moved from Kirkland to Idaho.

Uses of labyrinths have been embraced by the Christian Church as early as 1201 at Chartres. In fact, the St. John’s labyrinth is a copy of the labyrinth created at Chartres Cathedral in France.

The dedication ceremony will be led by Fr. Scot Wright, rector at St. John’s who said, “Dedicating the labyrinth at the end the services on the day of the tenth anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11 will point the way to graceful new beginnings of hope that are found in God’s love every single day.”

“Walking the labyrinth clears the mind and gives insight into the spiritual journey,” according to the book, “Walking a Sacred Path – Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice,” by Lauren Artress. “. . . It calms people in the throes of life transitions.  It helps them see their lives in the context of a path, a pilgrimage.”