Christian labyrinths date back to fourth-century Algeria, used by Christians to make symbolic, spiritual journeys by walking their paths.

More recently, the St. Aloysius seniors constructed a labyrinth out of luminaries at Balzli Field Wednesday.

St. Al senior Laura Phillips, 17, said the seniors went early to set up all the luminaries and write the names on the bags.

“We had peaceful music over the intercom,” she said. “The labyrinth was like half a mile in and half a mile out so a total of a mile that people got to walk and see family members’ names and people who had passed away.”

Phillips said from what she saw there looked like a lot of people showed up.

“At first you know I thought it was going to be kind of weird, but being in the prayer labyrinth and it being dark and seeing all the bags lit up, it was a very pretty ceremony and it was just kind of like a meditation with yourself, like a connection,” she said. “It was a really enjoyable thing, especially to be with the senior class setting up and taking everything down. It was a bonding experience.”

St. Al’s Joan Thornton sponsored the project and said she likes the project because the kids work together.

“The kids designed the labyrinth,” she said. “They’re looking at the names when they write the bags, and they just enjoy doing it. It’s not easy to design a labyrinth.”

Thornton said the 44 seniors sold 400 luminaries for the project.

“The labyrinth allows the kids and the community to experience a contemplative style of prayer that people here aren’t usually exposed to,” she said. “It’s not a maze — a labyrinth is about putting yourself in the presence of God. You enter into it and your goal is to get to the center of God. Kids will experience if they look too far ahead they’ll think they get lost, but they have to realize I’m supposed to be in this present place, this is where God wants me to be.”

People who complete the labyrinth take a lot from the experience, Thornton said.

“Usually my kids say things like they feel like they’re getting close to God then sometimes they’re far away as you go through all four quadrants,” she said. “You’ll think you’re right there, and then you’ll find out you’re way over in this corner. It just really parallels people’s spiritual life and development and how it ebbs and flows.”

Thornton said the labyrinth is a drill in trust.

“There’s only one way in and one way out, so it’s not a trick,” she said. “It’s just you put yourself there, and you trust that God’s going to get you where you need to be. It’s hard sometimes when you think you’re going the right way and God’s like ‘yeah, you should stay this course.’”

Thornton said the labyrinth also teaches patience, which is especially important for seniors in high school.

First-time labyrinth walker Mary Wilds said she learned about the luminary service from her church.

“I thought it would be interesting,” she said. “I didn’t know what it was.”

Wilds said she decided to take her grandchildren, Natalie and Tan Mills, who were staying with her for spring break.

“I want the kids to explore anything,” she said. “It’s a good Christian environment and a good family environment. I know St. Al was a good environment, but I was floored. That was beautiful and serene. It was a great evening and beautiful.”

Wilds said the luminaries were special for her family because her husband Nathan passed away in December.

“Nathan would tell Natalie and Tan he put the moon in the sky for them, and they said ‘oh there’s papaw peeking out,’ and it was like he was walking with them,” she said. “This is still fresh. Natalie went straight to the cross. I knew exactly what she was doing. She went straight up there and said a prayer for papaw.”

Wilds said the service was beautiful and she plans to be a participant from this year forward.