Bridgeport, Connecticut: Vatican Gardens Knockoff

St. Margaret's Shrine has actually had a lot of work done in recent years, as the local parish has been re-invigorated.

According to earlier comments, the Gardens were to be a disaster. I guess there has been a revived effort, because I found them to be filled with foliage, potted flowers, and a working waterfall. It can be overwhelming to take it all in, and I wished that I had more time to enjoy every scene the community has created around events in Jesus's life, sightings of Mary, and various saint statues.

The gardens look mostly abandoned and in disrepair. Although the church that's on the property still holds services, it feels like whoever conceived and built this place has left and no one has stepped into their place.

All of the peeling paint, cracked plaster and overgrown paths give the place an extra creepy vibe.

I used to live a few blocks away. St. Margaret's is a mixture of statues, gardens, ponds, and streams and can be beautiful although slightly creepy. Mass is still held at the tiny Catholic Church on site. There was a tiny nativity building that burned down -- every Christmas season the Nativity play was performed.There are old stairways that lead to nowhere and some pathways are treacherous. Some buildings are locked or boarded up but look interesting and creepy. People light Novena candles still. Every summer the Italian American community holds the gigantic Feast of St. Anthony there. The most mysterious building is a large one with a plaza built on top. Some say there is a priest buried under there in the locked doors.

St. Margaret's Shrine - Bridgeport's own version of the Vatican gardens...built in the 1940's as a peace monument, the Shrine contains copies of statues in grottoes containing mosaics, and replicas of famous pieces like Michaelangelos' Pieta. Actually it is kitschy and beautiful at the same time!