Page 67 - Demo

65A new white-and-caramel marble floor was nearing completion. Up above, ten tall angels with folded wings encircled the front. Two more looked down beatifically from the rear.Sister Carlita described the work that had already been done. She also said the pews were due to arrive soon, and there would be a brand new altar, positioned %u201cso the action and drama are closer to the people.%u201dConstruction for this magnificent church began in 1915, and was finished in 1924 (work had been halted for a few years due to WWI). And, now, the church was being totally rejuvenated and updated. It would have %u201ca feminine feel to it,%u201d Sister Carlita smiled, saying a female designer had been consulted so the interior would better reflect a building used almost exclusively by women. Already considered an architectural treasure (it%u2019s on the National Register of Historic Places), we could tell that, when the restoration was finished, the church would be even more beautiful than before.As we guessed, this extensive overhaul was very costly. To pay for it, the sisters have solicited funds from many people interested in preserving the monastery, and the work has had to be scheduled into two phases. Phase I (the outside) had already been completed and Phase II (the inside) was now in its final stages.John set up his camera directly below the center of the arching dome and snapped away. After he was finished, Sister Carlita suggested we visit the adjoining reception area. It had an amazingly detailed miniature model of the entire Monastery. We learned how the original sisters stationed here were French, but the German-speaking Sisters of St. Benedict had been summoned from Kentucky to replace them. It seems they were a better fit with the area%u2019s German/Swiss population. At one time, there were 500 nuns in residence, but today there are only 126, many of whom are retired. As John put his camera way, we learned that it might be possible to go up into the dome itself to photograph the sanctuary from up above. However, with so much construction still under way, that would have to wait for another day. %u2014LBEntry (Monastery), Ferdinand%u2014Dubois Co. (553-12)Tower (Monastery), Ferdinand%u2014Dubois Co. (553-10)