A New Phase for the New Year!

For the past five-plus years, our Cherish the Flame renovation project has been a part of monastic life here at St. Joseph’s. This adventure of praying, dreaming, fundraising, planning, and finally BUILDING has taken many twists and turns along the way, but the Lord and good St. Joseph have been in charge all along. We now enjoy a leak-free roof, a beautiful set of cloister walkways, and enhanced community life in our new Holy Family Wing, and our retreatants have expressed their delight with the Retreat House additions: a new covered patio and a dedicated spiritual direction room.

Removing the dividing wall between the refectory and the former recreation room

As we enter into this Jubilee Year 2025, the long-awaited final phase of our project - the renovation of our refectory and kitchen - has begun! On Thursday, January 2nd, a group of men with JMJ Construction arrived bright and early to seal off our refectory area with plastic sheeting and to begin the demolition phase. It’s quite a ruckus, all the more so for nuns who are used to an environment of monastic silence! But even as we jump at the sound of sledgehammers, saws, and falling boards, we rejoice at the knowledge that all this noise means PROGRESS towards our final goal!

We deliberately left this phase for last, because it was sure from the beginning to be the most disruptive to everyday life in the cloister. We had to work out answers to some pressing questions, such as: “Where do we eat when the refectory is in shambles?”

Thanks to a lot of planning, teamwork, and the assistance of some generous volunteers, we were able to create a temporary refectory and serving room in the loggia and foyer area of the Holy Family Wing. (Check out photos of our temporary setup below!)

As for the kitchen renovation, which will take place once the refectory is complete, our Kitchen Sister is already planning creative workarounds with Instant Pots, grills, and volunteer cooks. It will be an unusual Lent, for sure, but once again we’re excited to finally be nearing the completion of our project, and we’re more than willing to put up with inconveniences in the meantime.

Please keep up your supportive prayers and consider donating to our project!