Trinity Cathedral Participates in World Labyrinth Day, Saturday May 2, 2026
The Cathedral Arts Series at Trinity announces that Trinity Cathedral will join the annual World Labyrinth Day (Saturday, May 2) during which thousands of people participate in a walk of local labyrinths in communities across the globe. Those attending the event at Trinity Cathedral will have the opportunity to walk two different labyrinths on the front lawn of the Cathedral along West State Street.
Maria LoBiondo, a well-known storyteller, and labyrinth guide will facilitate the labyrinth walk. The afternoon will begin at 12:30 PM with a brief presentation by LoBiondo about labyrinths, their history, and contemporary use. Then at 1PM , joining with thousands of others across the world—in an effort called, “Walk as One at One”—participants will be invited to walk their choice of labyrinths at their own pace.
Participants are encouraged to bring water and snacks to sustain themselves. Cathedral restrooms will be available for those who need them. Brochures describing the labyrinths and suggestions for making them part of one’s meditative or introspective moments will be available. Ample parking is available in the Cathedral’s parking lot behind the building as well as along local streets.
The permanent labyrinth at Trinity Cathedral was installed as part of an Eagle Scout project more than 20 years ago and has served as meditation device since. Its design is modelled after a medieval labyrinth found in the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. Trinity Cathedral’s permanent labyrinth is open 24 hours daily throughout the year.
The second labyrinth will be installed on the front law specifically for this event. Its diameter is approximately 50 feet and its design is known as a processional labyrinth that offers two entrances allowing walkers to pass others travelling in a different direction. Internationally known labyrinth installer Lars Howlett designed the labyrinth. The temporary processional labyrinth will remain in place through Memorial Day weekend (May 26th) or until conditions necessitate its removal.
People, ancient cultures, and traditions have used spiral and labyrinth designs as symbols of their search for meaning and guidance. A labyrinth is a “unicursal” or one path design—there are no tricks, no decisions to make—just follow the path. The labyrinth is non-denominational. People of all faiths and people longing to re-connect to faith or seeking personal reflection, come to walk labyrinths.
Some of the earliest forms of labyrinths are found in Greece, dating back to 2500-2000 B.C.E. Labyrinths were such a major part of the fabric of early societies that they were frequently embossed on coins and pottery and carved into church walls. Early Christian labyrinths date back to 4th century including one discovered in a basilica in Algeria. One of the most famous is the labyrinth laid into the cathedral floor at Chartres, France in the thirteenth century. The Chartres design is a classical eleven-circuit labyrinth (eleven concentric circles) with the twelfth being in the center of the labyrinth. During the middle ages, labyrinths were sometimes used as a local substitute to making a pilgrimage to a holy site to avoid the dangers of ongoing conflicts or the risks of walking through areas where safety was not assured.