The Feast of St. Michael & the Archangels is always a big feast day at Mount Michael but this year it was extra special for it marks the beginning of the construction of the Monks new addition.

The day started out with a shortened schedule with classes ending at Noon. The students, faculty, and monks then proceeded to the chapel to celebrate the feast. As is tradition the readers, ministers, and chief celebrant were all celebrating the feast of their heavenly patrons. There were allot of Michaels with Abbot Raphael as main celebrant.

After Mass everyone hiked down to the picnic grounds for a lunch of hamburgers, sausages, hot dogs, chips and other standard picnic foods.

At 2:00 everyone moved to the site of the Abbey addition. The ceremony kicked off with a few words by Abbot Theodore followed by Dave Ciaccio who was Co-Chair of the capital campaign that made this project possible. Besides the Abbey addition one million was raised for updates and renovations to the school facilities with an additional two million more for endowment for the Abbey & School.

After Ciaccio spoke Cheryl Kiel of BCDM architectural firm and Mike Emmanuel of Meco-Henne Contracting spoke about the building project.

The ceremony was topped off by five groups ceremonially breaking ground. The first group consisted of Abbot Theodore Wolf OSB and Abbot Raphael Walsh OSB (Retired) with Cheryl Kiel & Mike Emmanuel. The second group was the four co-chairs of the capital campaign. The third group consisted of four monks representing the monastic community. The fourth group was the class presidents and finally a group representing the staff of Mount Michael took a dig at the earth.

The new addition will replace the “Priory” building which was built as temporary housing for the monks over 45 years ago.

The addition will have 21 private rooms for the monks with a community room and dining room with a small kitchen. It will be 3 stories tall with a walk out basement facing the southwest horizon overlooking the Elkhorn river valley. Parts of the basement will be left unfinished for now with hopes of eventually making it into a TV room and exercise area for the monks.

Utilities (Electric, gas lines, sewer, etc) will be move during the first 3 weeks of October with the foundation to be dug the later part of the month into November. During the winter months the foundation and hollow core floors will be constructed and poured. Come April-May, depending on how the winter work progresses weather-wise, a wooden roof will be constructed and the building will be enclosed. If all goes as planned the monks should be moving into their new home next September. The "Priory" building will be vacated and demolished soon after. Currently the moldy, drafty building has been leaking copious amounts of rain water into the west rooms whenever it rains hard.

The Monks and entire Mount Michael community thanks everyone who has contributed to the success of the Journey’s End Campaign that has made this and other improvement projects possible.