Cullman, AL -- For 107 years, the Benedictine Sisters of Cullman have been serving their community. Now, the community is giving back, helping provide some much-needed renovations to their home. Over the decades, Sacred Heart Monastery had been added on to with little thought for long-range planning. However, eventually, it became clear to all that the aging structure was in desperate need of updating.
The building, which was finished in 1904, still had its original plumbing. The mechanical system was so outdated it could not support window air conditioning units, let alone central air. In addition, the heating system was so inefficient, the sisters could only afford to run the boiler a few hours a day during the winter. Meanwhile, the lack of fire alarms and a sprinkler system were serious safety concerns, not to mention, the older members of the community often had trouble getting up and down the building's three flights of steps.
So, several years ago, the sisters began putting together a plan for their future. They determined they would stay in Cullman and do their best to preserve the historic building, while updating it for safety and energy-efficiency and also improving their retreat center. The result was a three-phase plan, which a group of dedicated lay people is helping them implement.
Construction began this month, and already, the sisters have raised about 60 percent of the cost for phases one and two. Inge Waddle, who chairs the project's Resource Committee, sees that as a sign of the community giving back. He says, "many of the sisters that are currently in the community have been teaching in our schools throughout Central and North Alabama. They're serving in our churches, our parishes."
While much work remains to be done, the sisters are confident they will meet their goal. They hope to finish the first two phases by next August and begin the final phase, which includes new housing for the Retreat Center, soon after. Sister Janet Marie Flemming, who serves as Prioress, says, "for years we've been hearing our retreatants beg us for updated facilities, for private rooms, for private baths. They are still living in what would be a 1920s college dorm."
To see the renovations that are underway or to support the project, visit
www.shmon.org and click on the Renovation Project and Capital Campaign button.
