You may have missed it before.
Between the hum of student life and quiet prayer, a garden blooms at Cardinal Gibbons. Formerly hidden by trees, Kristie’s Garden was a place for students to gather, pray, learn, and remember Kristie, a classmate whose smile once lit up the halls.
Kristie Curran, class of ‘95, was a kind, caring, and joyful young girl who tragically passed away from a car accident while attending Appalachian State.
Gibbons looked a lot different in 1995. It was located where the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral now stands, and it held about 375 students.
“She was one of the nicest people in our school. She was always smiling, kind, and caring,” said Bob Swanson, also class of ‘95.
Kristie loved the Beatles. She loved sunflowers. She loved her friends and her family. And most of all, she was loved deeply by others, and her passing left a lasting impact on the Gibbons community and the Class of ‘95.
“I can’t remember who exactly told me about her passing, but I remember it hurt, and it didn’t seem real because she was so young. It was sudden and unexpected; she was the best of us,” Swanson said.
“That was the first time we had all had a loss like that, of someone else our own age,” said Sarah Kuszaj, class of ‘95 and current AP Biology teacher.
Once located near the Cardinal Gibbons entrance, the garden was hidden beneath a canopy of overgrown trees. At its center stood a statue of Kristie, smiling softly with sunflowers growing around her. Competing with the forest, many people forgot the garden’s original purpose.
“I had many kids tell me they didn’t even know there was a statue there,” said Mike Curatolo, Director of Facilities at Gibbons.
Recently, Kristie’s Garden was relocated next to the Stations of the Cross to make room for new educator parking, which in turn freed up spots for students. As a part of the project, the overgrown trees were cut down entirely.
Even though Kristie’s Garden has been moved, it has certainly not been forgotten.
“We’re gonna do some landscaping around the back and try to incorporate sunflowers in a subtle way that looks nice and not overdone,” Curatolo said.
Curatolo and many others have been working on restoring Kristie’s Garden to its former beauty, along with adding some new touches. As the parking lots near completion, the restoration of Kristie’s Garden will soon be underway.
“We have already included four stones by Kristie’s statue, which say, ‘Peace, love, happiness, always, Kristie. ” said Curatolo.
As the garden takes root in its new home, it continues to reflect the same warmth and joy Kristie shared with everyone around her. In this new space, her spirit endures, a gentle reminder that even after great loss, beauty still finds a way to grow.
