Buildings and Grounds Update

The House of Peace, Holy Peace Chapel and the Other House all received new roofs this summer after a stretch of good weather. All three roofs were done by the same contractor, and the process went very smoothly.

In addition, Juniper, a guest-favorite cabin, is 33 years old and needed some touchups. We want to be conscious of people’s experience while they retreat as their time in nature is just as important as their time inside for space and solitude. In the future, more work will be done to Juniper including gutting the bathroom, but for now, the kitchen has been updated, along with fresh flooring, painting and new furniture. The work so far has been done by a mix of contractors, Mountain volunteers, Mountain employees and Br. Joe.

What’s next for the committee? They want to look at all the cabins, slowly making renovations in each building. A lot of love, care and usage has gone into each building, but it is time to make sure they are still functioning and effective. The committee will be looking at buildings through a comprehensive lens: looking at large projects such as the roof and stovetops and as small as shelving and furniture. Additionally, regular attendees of Sunday Mass may know that we have been having some trouble with our dishwasher. By the time this is shared, we will have ordered a NEW dishwasher that will be installed soon.

We would be remiss if we did not mention Martha Kopcienski, a former member of the Buildings and Grounds committee. She tirelessly got quotes for the new roofs, found contractors and established what the work needed actually was. Without her, these projects would not be complete. Going forward through the committee’s master plan, the ultimate goal is to minimize our use of fossil fuels or propane and instead using electric. We want to take more steps to use fully renewable energy. For example, we are converting to electric stovetops in the House of Peace, moving away from propane fueled.