Okay...I am a bit late in posting the following adventure but thought you might like to read about it...We are going to have a huge WATER bill for this month. Here’s what happened: during one of the ferocious lightning storms on Holy Thursday early afternoon, there was a terrible lightning strike. We’re not sure if we took a direct hit or what, but very shortly after this our electricity went out. After this we heard the loud roaring of water, which sent many of us on a search mission to find out where all the racket was coming from. In the main mechanical room of the monastery, a bladder air tank hooked up to the water heater had literally blown off, releasing a massive geyser into the mechanical room which busted through the ceiling and sprayed water everywhere below and above the dry wall ceiling!

By the time we found it, the water in some places was ankle-deep, and seeping out into the corridor.

It also was leaking into the ceiling of the chaplain’s breakfast room adjacent to the mechanical room.

Needless to say, we got into disaster mode! Seeing no way to stop the geyser until a plumber could arrive, we organized a brigade of Nuns with brooms, who kept vigorously sweeping as much water as possible down the one drain in the room. Other Nuns put rags and flood bags in the doorway, in an attempt to contain the water inside the mechanical room.

Finally, one of our “Sister-Fix-It’s” (Sr. Mary Andrea) valiantly climbed up on a ladder and with great effort succeeded in stopping part of the water source. (She also thought to grab the camera and take some photos!)

After what seemed like an eternity, the plumber calmly walked in. We don’t have any idea what he thought when he saw us in action, but he quickly set to work and at last stopped the source of the catastrophe. As for ourselves, we finished up praising and thanking God that this did not happen during one of the Holy Week services or during the night when no one would have discovered it; and we thanked God for this very small share in the Passion of Jesus who is suffering throughout the world in the members of His Mystical Body.