Courtesy of Charlie Mills | | “You must understand that this was God’s will, and it will result in benefit to the whole world.” - Meher Baba | | Construction of the Welcome Center is about to Begin! | | An approximation of the new Welcome Center's front entrance. | | |
We're delighted to announce that by Baba's grace, and after a year of intensive design work, the Heartland Center has just signed a contract for the construction of the Welcome Center at the accident site.
The 1600 square foot building will feature views that overlook the pond at the back of the property and the beautiful rolling hills beyond. There will also be a screened porch, large gathering space, kitchen and meditation room.
Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the accident, relax, share time with other pilgrims and also reflect in quietude. We foresee meetings, performances, and workshops being held in the 'great room' and can't wait for you to visit!
The ten members of the Heartland Center who brought their architectural, construction and design expertise to the project focused on creating a welcoming space that is ecological, durable and beautiful - a place to honor Beloved Baba.
If all goes according to plan, the building will be completed by the end of March 2027, in plenty of time for the May 21st-24th Sahavas, “Pilgrimage to Prague!” (See below...)
| | The Memorial Garden Comes to Life! | | |
In other equally exciting news, the Heartland Memorial Garden at the accident site is also coming to life.
In late September, eight hearty volunteers traveled to Prague, Oklahoma to sow the seeds of the Memorial Garden, which is just steps away from the very spot where Meher Baba and Mehera were thrown from the car that fateful day in 1952.
In addition to the Welcome Center, it will also be a place where lovers of Meher Baba can gather to pay homage to His and Mehera’s sacrifice on behalf of us all.
| | Some of the landscaping and gardening retreat volunteers including from the left: Alisa Genovese, Paula Lawton, Kristi Marshall, Neal Carter (our local gardener), Pamela Butler-Stone, Nicole Smile, Deb Smith, and Daniel Stone. | |
Over the past year, intensive work was done to create the design of the garden as well as to prepare the land for planting. Several dilapidated structures were removed, the land was graded, and a walkway and gazebo were built.
So when the volunteers arrived for the landscaping and planting retreat, “All felt the rare privilege it was to be there for the culmination of more than a year of planning, as we joined our hearts and hands in the planting of the Memorial Garden,” says Pamela Butler-Stone, who leads the Heartland Center’s Landscaping Committee.
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Michael McConkey, our volunteer horticulturist, and Neal Carter,
our local gardener, planting one of the 30 new trees on the site.
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The weather had been predicted to be in the low-mid 80’s, but Baba kept turning up the heat, so by the time the volunteers arrived, the temps had climbed into the upper 90’s to 100 degrees.
Despite the heat and an array of challenges Baba presented, the planting work was joyful, productive, and transformative.
| | One of the newly planted trees which bloomed on the last day of the retreat. | | The garden now has 30 new trees and nearly 80 perennials. There is also a graceful aggregate pathway that winds its way through the gardens, landing at the overlook to the accident site. The lovely cedar gazebo stands in the center of the garden, providing a direct line of sight to the sacred spot. And it is all framed by a beautiful semi-circle of trees and a couple of reclaimed older buildings from the Moucka farm era. | Paula Lawton planting yuccas around the Gazebo. | |
Deb Smith, one of the volunteer gardeners, sent a card a few days after the retreat to the garden crew with the message: “Celebrating the birthday of Mehera-Baba’s Memorial Garden… we ‘garden gnomes’ are fools for love, hard work, and humor.”
And indeed, all three elements were abundantly evident during the landscaping retreat. What perfect ingredients to enrich Baba and Mehera’s Memorial Garden as it was being brought to life!
Our heartfelt thanks to the garden team of Deb Smith, Michael McConkey, Paula Lawton, Daniel Stone, Kristi Marshall, Alisa Genovese, Nicole Smile, and Pamela Butler-Stone. Our resident caretaker Jane Montgomery and resident volunteer Ron Lansing were also a key members of the team, along with Neal Carter, our local gardener who had done the vital advance garden bed preparation and digging of the holes for the trees.
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PILGRIMAGE TO PRAGUE!
May 21-24, 2027
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Mark your calendars for this most special upcoming event – the inauguration of the Meher Heartland Memorial during the 75th anniversary of Meher Baba’s 1952 accident!
We hope you’ll join us next May when His lovers from all parts will come together at the sacred sites of Prague, Oklahoma – the place where the God-Man and His most beloved Mehera experienced great suffering on our behalf.
A full program schedule and registration information will be available in early January.
If you would like to reserve your spot in advance, please send us an email at contact@heartlandcenter.org.
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The Heartland Center is sustained by the continuing presence
of Meher Baba and is maintained
through the loving contributions of all who support it.
Avatar Meher Baba Heartland Center, Inc. is a 501(c)(3)
charitable non-profit organization.
Contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
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Donations by check may be made out to AMBHC
and mailed to the address below.
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