By: Michael Lawyer, Robert Richter
St. Christopher’s Carmel recently welcomed 20,000 new members!—and while they won’t be joining Sunday morning in the pews, they’ve certainly found a warm welcome just outside the church walls.
This spring, two new beehives were installed near the St. Christopher’s Crops Garden, home to what is being affectionately called the “St. C’s Bees.” This new ministry took root in 2024 when a group of parishioners, inspired by a similar project at St. Peter’s, Lebanon, decided to embark on a beekeeping journey of their own. Although it was too late to begin last year, they used the time wisely—attending local beekeeper meetings, enrolling in the Indiana Beekeeping School, and learning all they could to prepare for this season’s arrival.
In mid-May, the hives were installed. The initial population of about 20,000 bees is expected to grow to over 120,000 by summer’s end—roughly one bee for every resident of Carmel. These industrious pollinators will be busy supporting the ecosystem across an approximate two-mile radius, helping flowers, trees, and gardens flourish throughout the area.
While hopeful there may be a small harvest of honey by fall, the primary goal for this first season is to support the bees in settling in, establishing strong hives, and becoming familiar with the local plants and nectar cycles.
This is one more way St. Christopher’s can serve as a blessing to the community and embrace God’s expansive love for all creation.
