July18: Cemetery Relocation

The graves at the old monastery cemetery were carefully and reverently disinterred

The remains were carefully placed into vaults and then onto trucks, then they were immediately on their way to the New Monastery cemetery

Mother Anne Marie accompanied the relocation by her presence and her prayers; here the vaults are placed in the new cemetery

The community is reunited now that the deceased members are laid in their new resting place; the nuns gather to bless the graves and pray for our deceased sisters

Views from July 16

The scale and detail of the main Chapel nave are taking shape; a hopeful completion date of early September

Carpenters are installing the millwork in the Chapel; painters quickly follow

Wayne and helper from Bruce Co., with Mark from CGS, adjust the Cloister courtyard fountain pump

Preparing the way electrical conduits before laying the wood choir flooring

Views from early July

Carpenter Derek plans his next move to install the rose window trim in the Guest Nave

Tile-setters are taking particular care with the floor of the sanctuary

The drywallers finish up some of the final high work in the Chapel

Overhead view of the Guest Courtyard: pavers and drainage now complete, plantings in process

After much tweaking of the pavers, drainage and irrigations systems, plants have arrived in the Cloister courtyard

Mama Robin found a perfect spot for a nest on the scaffolding in the Cloister Courtyard; scheduled for removal next week the sisters are hoping the 3 chicks will be ready to fly soon!

June 30: Cemetery Blessing

The ceremony began in the temporary oratory, then the community processed to the cemetery

Monsignor Bartylla presided at the cemetery blessing, on his final day as Vicar General

Following readings and prayers the entire cemetery was blessed with holy water and incense

Monsignor Bartylla incenses the future cemetery plots with the Oratory in the background; We’re hopeful to soon relocate the old cemetery to it’s newly blessed home

Views from June 21

View towards the south; Generous Spring rains have made the countryside green and lush

Meeting in the Chapel of the design and contractor teams to work through details

Hundreds of plants have arrived, just waiting for final topsoil to be spread, to transform the grounds

Views from June 14

Excitingly, the scaffolding which has filled the Chapel for months is coming down today!

The concrete Sanctuary steps have just been formed and poured

The excavators are anticipating the arrival of topsoil and final grading next week, and are readying the fire lane

Nowadays the excavating and grading equipment is mostly guided via GPS; Here a Madrell operator demonstrates the satellite-controlled system

The Chapel scaffolding completely filled the space; it takes the crew most of a day to disassemble, sort and pack up the pieces, and truck it away

Views from May 31

Sister Aleydis meets with Eric Schmidt, CEO and Tony, senior project manager, of CGSchmidt

View of the Sanctuary from the Guest Nave; now free of scaffolding, a raised floor is being constructed

The 10-foot tall mound of topsoil is being re-spread; the topsoil was preserved and stored on-site since the original building excavation in late 2022

Dodging the unusually frequent rains this Spring, workers from Madrell Excavating have been able to complete the placing of topsoil around the Cemetery

With most of the site “hardscape” now in place, final grading, seeding and planting can proceed, just in time for the growing season

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

“Glory be to You, O equal Trinity, One Godhead, both before all ages, and now, and forever.” -Cistercian Antiphonal

After journeying with Our Lord through the Lenten Season and accompanying Him during His Passion and death, the Church has us celebrate His Resurrection for the 50 days of Eastertide. The season culminates with the Ascension of the Lord and out-pouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. After reflecting on the life and mission of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we celebrate the deepest mystery of our Faith: the Most Holy Trinity.

“The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them.” (Catechism 234)

Thank you for your generous support! We are moved in and getting settled and starting to find our way around the New Monastery. Construction continues on the Chapel and North Range, with hopeful completion in late August. Landscaping and grounds work has begun.

We cannot adequately express our appreciation for all who have supported our community and the building of the New Monastery. While we met our budget goal with your help, additional and unexpected expenses continue to arise. There are also unique opportunities for support, such as sponsoring chapel-related furnishings, paving for the driveway, a solar array, etc. Feel free to contact us for more information.

We thank God for your friendship and the great gift of this house – may it truly be for His Glory!

Views from May 19

The Chapel’s groin vaults are nearly complete

Every surface of the Chapel walls receives careful hand-sanding attention from the drywall crew

Making way for the electrical lines, the final lampposts are being installed; soil for the landscaping at the ready

Views from May 10

North of the Chapel a curving path will connect to the Cemetery to the Chapel; we hope to relocate our old cemetery soon

The exacting work of shaping the Chapel’s groin vaults continues with the cooperative dance between framers and drywallers

Dodging the Spring rains, concrete work is nearing completion — here at the Guest Courtyard, they poured the final walkway linking the Chapel main doors and the parking area

Views from May 3

The view from 300 feet above the monastery; we’re eager for the landscaping to begin in earnest next week

The bells were successfully installed and connected to a digital control system; the regular beautiful chiming has changed the whole atmosphere of the monastery

View from a cell; the nuns are enjoying living on a ridge with lovely views of the landscape, sunrises, sunsets… and the occasional rainbow

Pavers were placed in the Guest Courtyard; a fountain and plantings soon to follow

Inside, steel framers and drywallers are working in close collaboration to build the complex groin vaults of the Chapel ceiling

Tile is being installed in the Chapel Narthex

The drywallers are intent on finishing the groin vaults over the Sanctuary area first, so that scaffolding can be removed and allow the detailed work below to accelerate

April 28-29: Bell Blessing & Installation

The bells are carefully placed onto stands in preparation for Sunday’s blessing; these solid bronze bells weigh several hundred pounds

Rob Nurre, crafter of the bell stands, carefully attaches the bearings which allow the bells to swing in place

The community gathers for this once-in-a-lifetime ceremony

The largest of the bells, now christened St. Raphael, came from the old St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison; two bells were newly cast to accompany this donated bell – now named St. Gabriel & St. Michael