Phase I of the construction of the new St. Dominic's Monastery is completed: the main part of the monastery building including the cloister courtyard; the refectory and kitchen; a temporary library; the cells where the nuns pray, study and sleep; the common work area and laundry; a novitiate for the formation of new members and a proper infirmary for the care of our elderly Sisters. Last, but by no means least, is our small but beautiful temporary chapel which serves as the central focus of our lives: the daily sacrifice of the Mass, the singing of the hours of the Divine Office throughout the day and night, and Eucharistic Adoration.
Through our own simplicity of life, the profitable sale of our temporary monastery in Washington, DC and the generosity of benefactors, we have been able to finance the greater portion of Phase I of our project. Our needs are still great, however, as we now carry a sizeable mortgage and cannot move toward the beginning of Phase II until this is amortized.
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Phase II will include the permanent chapel (the monastery side of the chapel wall can be seen in the photo to the left) and library, living quarters for a resident chaplain, several guest rooms for visitors and a modest endowment for the future upkeep of the monastery. A permanent chapel will provide greater space for the laity to visit and to share in our life of prayer which we celebrate in our enclosed monastic choir.
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At the present time, our greatest need is to amortize our sizeable debt from Phase I. Another pressing need is equipment to help maintain our property: a heavy-duty commercial-sized riding mower.
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Other needs include adequate flooring throughout the monastery. Presently all of our floors are bare concrete except for the chapel, visiting parlor, cells and infirmary. Because of the abundance of poison ivy and ticks in our area, we also hope to someday establish a permanent walkway from the monastery to the cemetery.
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The downturn in the economy has affected the community of St. Dominic's just as it has the rest of the country. While we have undertaken several types of work to help maintain our way of life, the time spent in prayer and divine worship means that we must always depend upon the charity of the People of God for our continued existence. Would you prayerfully consider making a donation to our monastery? Your tax- deductible gift will not only assist us in the completion of our monastery, but you will also share in the graces of a weekly Mass offered for our benefactors, and be remembered in the daily prayers and sacrifices of the nuns.
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