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November 14, 2017On October 19, 2017 , the monastic community of St. Mary's Abbey approved a $5.5 million dollar capital campaign to renovate the 1966 Monastery and Vincent House (built in 1939).Working with architects from Genovese Associates for the past two years, the monastic community has developed a plan for a modest, but long-overdue renovation of the physical plant. These renovations will allow older monks to age in place and independently, minimize expensive costs of health care, and make the monastery a more cost-effective plant to operate.
Currently, the monks live in single 10’ x 12’ rooms and share common bath/shower facilities. The renovations will take two of these rooms to make a new suite fully equipped with an ADA-compliant bathroom, new HVAC and new windows, for a total of 240 square feet of living space for each monk.
The current common bath/shower facilities will be converted onto a common room, with a washer/dryer and kitchenette on each wing of the monastery. This renovation will allow aged and infirm monks to take their meals in their rooms when necessary as well as manage their own laundry (the current laundry rooms are in the basement of each monastery building and are inaccessible to those with mobility problems).
The first phase of these renovations will begin in December 2017, with the West Wing of the 1966 monastery, the wing closest to the Abbey Infirmary. The renovated West Wing can then provide direct access to the nursing staff for monks who need some assistance. As funds become available, the other wings of the monastery will similarly be renovated. Vincent House will also have a similar make-over, taking two rooms to make a new suite with private bath/shower. A corridor connecting Vincent House to the church, originally envisioned in the 1966 construction, will be added, along with an elevator and ADA-compliant entrance.
An Abbey Campaign Committee is being formed under the leadership of Mr. and Mrs. Sharon and Peter Cocoziello (pictured above). Details on the campaign and opportunities to participate will be forthcoming! Please give prayerful consideration to joining this campaign as one of our donors. Be assured of the prayers and gratitude of the monks for your continued support and encouragement.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).