Maintenance, repairs and enhancements

With a 75,000 square feet of building spanning 75 to 120 years of age, there is always something that needs repairing, replacing or enhancing at the monastery. This week we had several groups of craftspeople working on different projects throughout our physical plant. 

Som fire alarm system and electricity finishing work was done on the Guesthouse elevator (the project that keeps giving surprises). There is now reasonable hope that the elevator will be in use by our guests within weeks rather than months. We know how desirable the completion of that long-suffering project is.

We took delivery of the movable temporary kitchen. It will enable to continue meal services while the thorough renovation of the Guesthouse kitchen takes place. If all goes well (a dicy proposition for any project of this size), the new kitchen should come into service this summer.

We took delivery of a new boiler system for the monastic enclosure. This system of four smaller boilers functioning in cascade should increase the energy efficiency of our heating system and reduce our gaz consumption (good for our finances and good for the planet). This was made necessary by the unexpected failure of one of our two cast-iron boilers in the middle of our heating season. The functioning cast-iron boiler will stay as a back-up system until the new system has proven its resiliency (in case of the failure of a single boiler in the cascade of four).

And finally, St Mary's House (the house at the top of our driveway) is now vacated by its previous occupants and is ready for serious sprucing up and some needed repairs. This weekend, the men in formation and our visiting aspirants helped pull up the aged carpeting and start the repainting of ceilings and walls.

Ongoing enhancements to our buildings. From top left, clockwise: the new boilers in their packaging in the enclosure boiler room; the cascade of four Triangle Tube boilers set in an array; the temporary movable kitchen installed in the Sacristy lot (two pictures).

The weather was very variable this week with an alternation of sunny and rainy days while the snowpiles from the last Noreaster storm keep melting away. Lent keeps its progression into Holy Week. Last Sunday, we celebrated Laetare Sunday. Laetare Sunday is the fourth Sunday in the season of Lent, in the liturgical calendar. Traditionally, this Sunday has been a day of celebration within the austere period of Lent. For the occcasion, Br. Randy, our presider sported the rarely used "rose" vestments.

Monastery folks. From top left, clockwise: guests enjoying a warmer and sunny day in the garderns next to melting snowpiles (two pictures); Br. Randy (in the sacristy) preparing to celebrate mass on Laetare Sunday; visiting aspirant Anthony Letchworth, of Pittsford, NY, enjoying the sun near the enclosure porch; long-time and frequent visitor Greta Getlein, of Williston, VT, enjoying the quiet in Pilgrim Hall.

Wishing you a blessed fifth week of Lent.