We recently began a much-anticipated portion of our roof replacement: the chapel! The unique design of our worship space has given our dedicated roofers quite a challenge: there are no fewer than nine roofs of different shapes and sizes atop our chapel! However, Helming Brothers Co. has been up to the challenge, making it look almost easy.

One particular roof, however, has provided a bit more excitement than the others. Replacing the highest point of our chapel roof (and of our whole monastery), over ninety feet in the air, was quite the feat of daring and ingenuity! Elevators, lifts, and trucks were parked all around the site, and the casual observer could catch glimpses of the workmen walking with safety harnesses at a dizzying height. A “spotter” on the ground kept them aware of their position on the roof at all times!

The intrepid group made the harrowing summit climb almost daily for a week, and the spectacle attracted some marveling monastic onlookers in the courtyard. Some other nuns, however, preferred not to take a peek — they were too busy on both knees, praying for the workers’ safety!

Of course, Joe Helming is always looking for new recruits to keep the pace going on our roof replacement — even if he has to use a bit of “staging” to get the job done. See the gallery below for glimpses of our two most recent “additions” to the crew …

Last but certainly not least, the special Cherish the Flame edition of our newsletter is ready for your perusal! We share the latest news on our project, as well as the names of our many generous donors who are helping this dream to become a reality. So what are you waiting for? Click the button below to start reading!