My Journey at Terra Sancta

Update for the week of April 9:

We’re rolling along in the Monastic wing . . . a few new volunteers (JoAnn and Pat from the Commissioned Lay Minister Association) helped in getting the big stuff swept and vacuumed out of the sleeping rooms.  Kathy, Sr Florence and Sr Carol and I worked on the windows last week and today.  All the windows in the sleeping rooms are cleaned up on the inside (yeah!!).  The floors will hopefully get scrubbed and refinished this week by Leon and Jeff.  We’ll continue to clean as we can around the floor crew.

We’re hopeful a large group of volunteers are available this weekend to help move furniture into place – the local Knights chapters are getting the word out and we hope people are available to assist.  With furniture in place, we’ll get the cleaning finished up and then beds made . . . our first group arrives April 26!

Update for the week of April 1:

I haven’t posted to My Journey in a few weeks . . . but we accomplished a lot since March 11. The chapel and surrounding hallways were as clean as they could be within an on-going construction project and almost 300 people from around the diocese participated in Pastoral Ministry Days at Terra Sancta. In the week prior to PMD, volunteers logged more than 100 hours – dusting, moving furniture, mopping and more. Several volunteers were here for many hours on many days – Deannie, Peter, Frank, Bernie and others made a wonderful difference. Thanks!!

We had an amazing working retreat March 16-18. We were a small group, but we achieved great things together and with God. So thanks to the team that worked that weekend – Alyssa, Bricee, Deanna, Sr Edna Marie, Fr Steve, Greg, Judy, Kerry, Renee, Rod, and Walt.

In the next two weeks, our construction clean-up will continue – the Monastic wing is ready for cleaning. That will involve several large meeting rooms on 1st floor and then 34 sleeping rooms, a kitchen and other public spaces within the Cloister.

It’s been an exhausting couple of weeks . . . I am looking forward to a blessed Holy Week and joyful Easter.

Update for the week of March 11:

There have been a few questions about our rates.  A few people have asked why we are charging for use of the facility at all . . . especially when so many have already donated to the Terra Sancta project.  First and foremost, we are so thankful for the generous support for the renovations of Terra Sancta—however, it was never expected that we could raise enough in that appeal to cover our operational costs.  In order to be fiscally responsible in the management of the building, we need to make sure we can cover the costs of operations.  We are doing several things to ensure we have a balanced operational budget—such as having a very lean operational budget in general, applying for grants and counting on volunteers to assist with daily operations.  The good news is we’ve been awarded $115,000 in grants; and since February 1, volunteers have logged more than 200 hours of service for the retreat center.  We are hopeful with this approach to managing our finances that we can soon offer further reduced rates for groups providing ministries throughout the diocese.

Our current rates are tiered to offer the greatest discount to diocesan/parish groups from western South Dakota.  Additionally, discounts are offered for large groups and groups that stay three or more nights.  Events that have a certain number of rented lodging rooms also receive complimentary meeting rooms and use of the chapels.  We don’t want any hidden costs.  If you have questions about rates for a particular event, please contact us at stay@terrasancta.org – we’d be happy to work with you to make your event all that it can be.

Prior to setting our rates, we gathered information about hotel rates, as well as rates for other retreat centers in the Black Hills and the region.  We established a range that we felt was acceptable.  We considered the option of having winter and summer rates (such as area hotels do).  Ultimately, we set one rate for the 2012 year for each style of room (our reasoning being – retreats should always be in season).  And, yes, there are hotels in Rapid City that charge less than we do.  These rates are typically offered during off-peak times.

We are not a hotel – and cannot operate as one.  Our conditional use permit with the city of Rapid City limits the types of events that can be hosted at the retreat center.  We are limited to overnight stays and events that include a spiritual focus or are religious or faith-based.  In order to offer diocesan members a place to stay during personal trips to the area, we are developing Stay and Pray materials to compliment the various reasons people visit Rapid City.  For instance, daily reflections and morning prayers were developed for those who chose to stay with us during the Black Hills Stock Show.

We are also exploring a Work Exchange program.  Modeled after other retreat centers, this program allows people to work at the retreat center in exchange for lodging discounts.  Several organized retreat groups are currently testing the waters on this program.  They have been coordinating volunteer groups to help with cleaning (construction clean-up and daily cleaning); we track their hours and those hours are credited toward their retreat lodging costs.  Additionally, during March, we have two working retreats planned – one for college age students (held last week) and one for parishioners (individual, families and parish team) scheduled for March 16-18.  These working retreats have service sessions built into their schedules.  This allows participants to work in exchange for their lodging costs greatly reducing their out-of-pocket expenses for the retreat (their cost is for food).

Our primary purpose is to meet the spiritual needs of Catholics in western South Dakota – and we can’t do that if our people cannot afford to use the facility.  We understand that; at the same time, we can’t keep the doors open if we cannot meet the expense of running the facility.  Continued dialogue is essential these first months and years of operation – please let me know your continued thoughts and suggestions on how we can ensure Terra Sancta Retreat Center truly is a holy place for the people of western South Dakota to gather and become more holy together.

Update for the week of March 4:

Amazing!! We are hosting our first working retreat (an alternative spring break for young adults with Fr Brian Christensen and Susan Safford). Students from Northern State University along with Fr Tom Anderson joined a group of students from Black Hills State. Several other young adults from the diocese are also part of the retreat. The group has accomplished a lot this week – the main chapel is looking great!

A few volunteers had started vacuuming dust off pews and the floors a few weeks ago (Thanks Kelli, Ashley and Shannon!!).  Then a group from St. Therese arrived on Saturday, March 3 to continue dust removal – they also started the relocation project.  Many tables, desks and shelves were stored in the main chapel and hallways around the chapel during the renovation.  The final items were then moved by the retreatants this week . . . what remains – really long tables that we’re not sure where we’ll use them.

Although still dusty, items that were being stored in the chapel have all been relocated; the pews have been reconfigured (another thanks to the group of students from STM who stopped by to help move the last few pews into place); the floors have been swept and mopped (and will need to be swept and mopped again – repeatedly). I hope to post photos soon – so you can see the amazing team that got things moving along.

Updates from the week of February 26:

	I start most days with an early morning walk to visit our neighbors at St Martin Monastery. This is the view along the way. Morning prayer and daily mass with the Sisters is a great way to start the day – and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation adds to the experience.
The chairs for the small chapel were finished at the manufacturer last week. To save some money, the diocese sent a truck and driver to Nebraska to haul them back. They arrived late Monday. Tuesday morning, several of us dusted them off and got them set-up in the small chapel. They are a nice addition to the small chapel (the Cenacle).
The main entrance to Holy Cross Chapel is in progress. Framing is complete and the space is being prepped for installation of stone. The stone will be engraved with names of Guild members as well as information significant to the history of the Catholic Church in Western South Dakota.
And so we all know – cleaning the main chapel and monastic wing areas will not be easy, I’m including some before photos. We accomplished a lot in Nazareth Hall in early January – and we have another big task in front of us now, but together with God, we can do it!Contact us at volunteer@terrasancta.org; register for the working retreat Rejoice in the Lord’s House (March 16-18) or stop by Monday –Friday at 9am or 1pm and grab a vacuum. We have a big job before us, and all help is appreciated. If you don’t have time to join the cleaning crew, please keep us in your prayers!
Posting from the week of February 19, 2012
(photo by Laurie Hallstrom, West River Catholic)		In December and early January, we completed the first phase of construction clean-up. Once areas were clean, furniture and equipment needed to be hauled and installed. The photo to the left shows Clint Kling and me during the big furniture moving day on January 5. A group of mostly college students hauled 46 queen size beds, chairs, tables, lamps, linens and more to the 24 family style sleeping rooms.This week, we’ll begin the second phase of construction clean-up for the retreat center – the main chapel, hallways around the main chapel and the monastic wing – sleeping rooms and meeting rooms.To gain perspective of what we have accomplished, take a look at the photo of the Cenacle (small chapel in Nazareth Hall) – dated in early December. Contractors still had some work to do; the cleaning team would follow and remove the cardboard and plastic, clean windows, sweep floors and dust walls and surfaces. We then had to dust off 50 temporary chairs, haul them from our storage area and get them set up for the first retreat. We didn’t have access to the chapel until the week of January 9 – our first retreat started January 13. Construction clean up is messy business – lots of dust and debris; and the dust continues to settle, which means cleaning again and again and again. After months of work, the air is filled with particles (think of sanding drywall joints, jack hammering concrete, etc – all produce large quantities of dust). The photo on the left shows the dust that had settled throughout Holy Cross Chapel in mid-December. Since this time, the communion rail and side altar area have been leveled to floor level – that involved several days of jack hammering concrete. The dust is thick throughout this area – from floor to ceiling. So another large task is before us . . . by March 25, we need to have Holy Cross Chapel (the main chapel at Terra Sancta), the monastic sleeping rooms and all hallways in between cleaned and ready for Pastoral Ministry Days. The Lord provided the way and the means during the first phase of clean-up – I am confident and praying that He’ll continue to light our way during this phase.
(photo by Joan Wilson, OLBH parishioner)
(photo by Joan Wilson, OLBH parishioner)