Updates
On the Progress of our Building Project
July & August 2026
August 21, 2026: Moving Mountains
"Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you"(Matthew 17:20).
By God's grace and our generous benefactors, we have begun to move the mountains required to construct our new living quarters building. It will take nearly 40,000 cubic yards (or 4,000 dump truck loads!) of imported non-expansive engineered fill to lay the foundations of our full build-out of monastic buildings including the Church (Phase III). During this current Phase II we will import approximately 20,000 cubic yards between the roadway and new living spaces building. Providentially, God brought us to a property that has all the engineered fill we need, and we can screen the rocks and "produce" the material needed from our own land - He is so good to us! Without this on-site fill material, the cost of importing it up our narrow two-lane canyon road would have cost us nearly 3.5 times the amount. The mountain moving on both sides of our property is methodical and takes time due to the sheer volume of material needing to be moved. We are building the new structures on the flatter portions of our mountain monastery, but it is still within close quarters. The new access "ring road" has proven invaluable as we balance life at the monastery with the organized chaos of large trucks, equipment and the community's vehicles moving in and about the land.
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June 2026
June 20, 2026: Clearing the Site
Shortly after the groundbreaking ceremony, we began clearing the construction site of block walls and other obstacles to construction. We are grateful to the many volunteers who helped with this, several of whom had built the same block walls thirteen years ago.
June 5, 2026: We broke ground!
"If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor" (Psalm 127:1). We welcomed our beloved Bishop Joseph Brennan, priests, confreres, friends and guests to the future construction site of our permanent monastic building for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Groundbreaking Ceremony. For the first time in our community's history we were able to welcome hundreds of guests to participate in the sacred liturgy with us here at the monastery. It was a true joy for us and a foretaste of what is to come with the construction of our future church, God willing.
We will now begin the demolition and earthmoving phase of the living quarters building construction and hope to have "standing walls" of this building in the late fall of 2026. (For more photos from the groundbreaking, click here.)
April 2026
April 24, 2026: We are in construction!
Site improvement construction is underway to make way for the future living spaces and church buildings. In late April, we began installation of a new emergency vehicle/private access road and preparations for some major one-time electrical utility upgrades to provide for the present and future needs of the Community. Once completed, we will have cleared a major hurdle in preparing the site for our permanent church construction, which we hope to begin soon after the completion of our living quarters building.
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January 2026
January 16, 2026: Grading Permit Received
In mid-January, we received our grading permit for the first sequence of construction—a ring road that will facilitate efficient heavy equipment access and earth moving around the existing convent and new building. This road will serve this purpose during both Phase II (Living Spaces) and Phase III (Church) construction, as well as provide adequate means for emergency vehicles to access the property safely. Grading is scheduled to begin in May once ground conditions are adequate.
October 2025
October 15, 2025: Clearing the Construction Site Continues
Various sheds and storage containers begin to move in preparation for the new monastery living quarters building.
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October 10, 2025: Preliminary Preparations for Construction Continue
As plans continue through design development and construction documents phases, community begins on-site preparations for construction in earnest. The newer portion of our chicken coop was the first structure to be relocated as we clear and prepare the site for Phase II.
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June 2025
June 26, 2025: Cemetery Arch Installed
Family and friends install the arch over the entrance to our new cemetery.
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March 2025
March 19, 2025: Architect Engaged for Monastery Living Spaces Building
On the solemnity of our patron, St. Joseph, local Catholic architect Paul Dhanens is engaged to complete the design of Phase II, which will house the remainder of our monastery living quarters.
August 2024
August 30, 2024: Sod Laid in our New Cemetery
On the memorial of our Norbertine Bl. Bronislava, the canonesses lay sod on the new cemetery, following approval from the County to relocate our former (unoccupied) cemetery, which sat on the proposed construction site.
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