Many of the great things that have happened in this world have come on the basis of a great idea.  The American Revolution happened because the great thinkers of that time pushed for self-determination and democracy.  The personal computer boom happened because men like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates decided that individuals could use computing technology.

The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary have served as Monroe’s “idea generators” for years.  In years past the nuns taught at almost every Catholic school in the region.  And they founded Marygrove College in Detroit.  So, many of our area’s great ideas, at least indirectly, tie back to the nuns.

In recent years, the nuns have placed their faith into the simple idea that we need to be responsible stewards of the environment.  The nuns renovated their motherhouse to use geothermal heat.  The nuns famously purchased DTE stock so they could attend corporate meetings and push for greener methods of energy generation.

And for area walkers, the nuns have blessed us with pedestrian access to the IHM grounds.

This is a great gift because the IHM complex connects directly to Monroe’s most popular trail system along the River Raisin.  Walkers who hike everything on the grounds will add over 2.5 miles to their route.

A walk from the River Raisin starts on Elm Avenue about half-way between Roessler Street and Monroe Street.  Several paths lead through restored prairie areas in front of the imposing motherhouse complex.  Walkers should use these paths and access roads to move towards the northern sides of the buildings.

In the back, there is a single paved roadway that bisects the sisters’ land.  The roadway is open to IHM traffic, but this traffic is rare.  Visitors will see an organic garden plot, several man-made ponds, cornfields and a labrynth.  Mason Run pushes through the parcel.  However, it is merely a ditch in this location.

The extreme northern portions of the property are interesting for several reasons.  First, there is a nice wooded section of trail that the nuns have outlined with branches and other deadfall.  Some of the trees in this woods seem to be very old.

The Visitation barn is also quite interesting.  The nuns run this as a respite from the busy quality of modern life.  It is a quiet place to pray and generally reflect on the world.  I don’t like to walk to the barn during my hikes because I want to give whoever is there the peace that they are looking for.

A return trip to the River Raisin requires backtracking along the bisecting access road.  A spur runs to the east towards the St. Joseph’s Cemetary.  A gated fence normally blocks access to the Cemetary.  From a hiker’s viewpoint, this is too bad.  It would make a circle route along Monroe Street possible.  But, I can understand that security is important for the cemetary.  It is still possible to see the remarkable patch of land on which generations of IHM sisters have been buried.

In recent months, proposals have been created to turn much of this land into a county-owned “central park.”  This would be a wonderful addition to Monroe’s park system.  Given the realities of most current government budgets, this might be a tough sell.  I’m not sure of the current status of this proposal.

Please be aware that access to the IHM property is determined solely by the nuns’ generosity.  Walkers should respect the property and all IHM events.

Here is my map of the walk on Microsoft Virtual Earth:

http://tinyurl.com/27rgf2

This is a Monroe Evening News map of the “central park” proposal:

http://www.monroenews.com/assets/jpg/MP14267323.JPG

Here is the official web site of the IHM sisters:

http://www.ihmsisters.org/www/home.asp

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