Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories

One of five beautiful red maple trees recently planted by the new south entrance

Trees are a blessing.

They provide shade, homes for animals and splashes of color during the fall.

They also beautify the landscape. We recently received five red maples that are now growing by the new south entrance off the highway.

This fall, they will surely attract attention and give us a pleasurable sight to behold. These gifts are especially touching, helping to heal our monastic landscape after losing so many older trees to the August storm.

We thank our wonderful friends at Conlon Construction Company for their generous gift!

News of our chapel being open is making its way around the neighborhood. This past Sunday we had about 10 friends and neighbors join us for Eucharist.  As one stated, “It is so good to be back here. We have missed you.”

The guests bless our new entry way as they make their way to the antique highboy to sign the guestbook and then walk the few steps to our Adoration Chapel.

The desk behind these two friends was specially crafted by local Amish folks. Thanks to the generosity of our friends and employees, it is now in place and ready to be put to use. Our hope is that you can join us one of these days too.

Guest access to any property is of the utmost importance when extending hospitality, and that is something a Benedictine monastery does often and continuously.

With the new south entrance being at ground level all the way into the Adoration Chapel, the three difficult sets of steps to navigate are now removed!

Plus, we now have bus parking for tours!

Before the renovation, busloads of pilgrims and tourists had to navigate an employee parking area and walk all the way around to the front entrance.  We now have bus parking areas so the sightseeing folks can come up the front walk along with everyone who arrives by smaller vehicles.

And we also have additional spaces for disabled visitors:

Parking and entering our monastery are now blessings for those who are physically disabled.  We feel grateful for being able to do this.

The new entrance is beginning to get some company – walkways and driveways!

Crews worked on concrete-related projects this week, laying forms for the new driveway and installing the walkway to the new entrance.

Eagle-eyed readers will also spot something else we’re really exited about….

Yes! They’re back! The medallions that once graced the west side entrance porch of our monastery. How wonderful it is to see them in their new home, in a prominent place of welcome for all our future guests!

Well, this is definitely a road less traveled in that it’s still being built!

The contractors are moving along on the new entrance roads. This includes the main entrance from Highway P….

Small turnarounds….

And the new parking area that will provide lots of spaces for cars and tour buses for visitors….

We are so excited about the new design, which has moved our main visitors entrance from the monastery’s west side to the south. We will finally have room to accommodate all our wonderful guests! And they won’t have to climb all those stairs either.

We can’t help but notice how many portals of light are shining in on the progressing building project.  Here’s our new clerestory:

And here are the west-facing windows….

And even more light is seen reflecting off the newly finished wood floor and in our east wing second floor hallway…

Light shines brilliantly in our hearts as well to continue to draw us forth into the future with hope and joy.  As Father Xavier stated this morning, an empty building is lifeless, but when a monastic community moves in, they fill it with faith.

May our light add to God’s Light to show us the way through our renovated building and the journey of life.

This section of the east wing was exposed when the southern portion was deconstructed:

Now workers are creating a new brick face on it, blending in with the current surface. It already looks great!

Elsewhere on the exterior, roofing on the new addition is almost done, work continues on gutters and metal trim on the roofing.

Work on the road to the new entrance and parking area will begin soon. We will salvage gravel and rock used for the existing construction road to use elsewhere after the renovations are complete.

Countertops and vanities are being installed on the third floor, most of the second floor has been painted and tile work will begin soon.

We haven’t fallen too far behind on our projected finish date. Slowdowns have been due to the thickness and hardness of some walls (which, really, is a good thing overall) that necessitated bringing in different equipment.

We also have been slowed because of the extra time we are taking to select and match existing pieces of wood trim we have recycled. Rome wasn’t built in a day either….