Discalced
Carmelites
CARMEL OF JESUS, MARY AND
JOSEPH
Valparaiso, Nebraska
NOTE: These webpages brought to you by the Las Vegas Marian Information Center.
With gratitude to the Discalced Carmelites for allowing us to share their photographs
on the construction of the Monastery of the Carmel.
Please link here to contact us re: this Center. Thank you.
August 30 || August 5 || July
1 || June 17 || June 9 || May
23 || May 1 ||
PAST IMAGES
On this page: || Oct 1 || Nov 7 ||
Nov 14 || Dec 7, 01 || Dec
15, 2001 (click any date)
IT IS ACCOMPLISHED!
December 15, 2001
+JMJ
Praised be Jesus Christ!
"What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God -
the
gateway to heaven!"
These were the opening words of Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz's homily during
the dedication mass, taken from the book of Genesis.
On Friday, December 14th, the Feast of St. John of the Cross, the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was dedicated and the Papal Enclosure was set by Bishop Bruskewitz. Over 25 priests were in attendance. The concelebrants included Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, Bishop Daniel Walsh, Msgr. Timothy Thorburn, Fr. Joseph Fessio, and Fr. Steven Watson. The Schola consisted of 10 seminarians from Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary. F.S.S.P All totaled, over 160 people were in attendance.
Following the mass, Bishop Bruskewitz led the Sisters, priests and seminarians around the monastery for the Enclosure ceremony. It is accomplished! We are all so happy for the Sisters. Our dear Sisters now have a completed monastery.
[click
images for larger view]
The chapel is awe inspiring. The high altar, mosaic and sanctuary are all beyond description. I've attached a few photos but they can never duplicate the feeling you get when you open the front doors and see the chapel for the first time. Everything about the monastery is conducive to prayer and meditation. Our Lord has rewarded them greatly for all their years of self-sacrifice, patience, and prayer.
On Sunday, December 9th, an open house was held to allow people from the surrounding area to see the entire monastery before the enclosure. The open house was to be held from 2:30 to 5:00 PM and we anticipated, at the most, 500 people would attend. Boy were we wrong!! At 11:30 AM I was in the chapel getting ready for the open house and several car loads of people showed up outside, and they kept coming. By 1:00 we had over 1500 people go through and it technically hadn't even started yet. By 2:30, the entire chapel was full of people, shoulder to shoulder. The sanctuary was full. All the halls were packed with people. I looked out the front door and saw nothing but cars and people. The parking lot was full. The quarter mile long driveway was lined with cars on both sides. Agnew Road was lined with cars on both sides for 3/4's of a mile in each direction. A friend of mine from work said that they walked at least a mile from their car to the monastery. I talked with people that had driven as far as 300 miles just to see the monastery. There were people there from Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, and Iowa. Our final estimate of attendance was at the very least, 4000 people.
Everyone was very excited about the monastery and many were asking how they could help to support the Sisters. It has been an incredible week here with the Sisters. It was truly a "once in a lifetime" event. We have been so blessed to have been able to be a part of it.
[One of the many miracles.]
I have to tell you about something that happened on Saturday, the 15th. The Lincoln Journal-Star [click] had published a really nice article about the dedication and more specifically about the high altar. They published two photos of the altar. One from the dedication and one as it was, back in the hospital chapel. Saturday morning a gentleman from Minnesota was traveling through Nebraska and had stopped to eat breakfast. While reading the paper he saw the article and could not believe his eyes! There on the page was the altar that he had disassembled over 30 years ago. He immediately went to the monastery and when he walked in to the chapel he could not hold back the emotion. He sobbed uncontrollably. He never thought he would ever see the altar again. He was the man that was hired to disassemble it and for years it bothered him that he had been the one to take apart something so beautiful and it would never be seen again. Once again he was standing before it in all its glory. We had never seen a man so happy. He stayed and talked with the Sisters for over an hour. Just one more example of the countless graces and blessings being poured out on people as a result of the Sisters' prayers.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum,
Bob and Susan
December 7, 2001 - Incredible aerial photos ...
+JMJ
(click thumbnail for full image)
November 14, 2001
+JMJ
(remember to click any image for larger view)
Praised be Jesus Christ,
I realize I just sent you an update but we've got some magnificent photos for
you to see since they removed the scaffold under the dome. The full view
of the mosaic is, in the words of Madrecita, maravilloso! The photos
just don't do it justice. The colors of the images are very vibrant. It is
truly one of the most magnificent pieces of art that I have had the privilege to
see.
In addition to the mosaic, work has begun on the marble altar and communion rail
.
This too will be spectacular when completed. In case you haven't heard the
story of the altar, I'll try and give a brief explanation. This hand
carved, solid marble altar was originally constructed for St. Joseph's hospital
chapel in Omaha, Nebraska many years ago. The chapel was eventually torn down
and the altar was auctioned off and sold to a gentleman from western
Nebraska. The altar was taken apart, piece by piece, packed in wooden
crates, and stored in a barn on this gentleman's ranch. There it remained for
over 30 years. A couple from Lincoln, Tom & Rhonda Peed, heard about
the altar, acquired it and moved it back to Lincoln. The Peed's then heard
about the Carmelites and their construction project and very generously donated
the altar to the Sisters. I've attached a black & white photo of the
altar when it was in place in St. Joseph's hospital chapel.
Through the diligent efforts of Fr. Charles Van Vliet [see insert], 
the
crates were moved to a temporary storage building a few miles from the
monastery. It took 3 trucks (24') to transport all the crates. There the crates
were unpacked, pieces were identified, and then inspected for damage.
There were a few broken pieces but overall it was in surprisingly good shape.
Fr. Charles then enlisted the help of several seminarians to help organize and
clean the hundreds of pieces of marble. They in turn brought the pieces up to
the monastery and the Sisters worked tirelessly, scrubbing and polishing all the
pieces of marble. Just yesterday, some of the pieces were moved in to the choir,
adjacent to the sanctuary, so that Fr. Charles could begin reconstructing the
altar with the help of Pat Breitfelder and Gene Ragan. If you can comprehend the
number of pieces involved, try imagining the weight of all these pieces.
The dome at the top of the altar weighs approximately 800 lbs. (362 kg) An
18" x 6' piece of the step weighs over 300 lbs. Most of the panels you see
on the front of the altar are at least 200 lbs. I've attached a few photos
of the pieces arranged in the choir and work being done in the
sanctuary.
I hope to send you a photo of the finished altar and communion rail in a
couple weeks.
Please say a prayer for Fr. Charles and all those involved. Many people
have worked countless hours and given freely of their time to reconstruct this
tremendous altar for the Sisters. (This includes the Sisters)
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum,
Bob & Susan
November 8, 2001
+JMJ
Praised be Jesus Christ,
A lot has been completed this past month. Almost all rooms and hallways are finished and painted. They are finishing the last areas that need floor tile. Cabinets are being installed. Light fixtures are going up. The areas around the monastery that were seeded last month are now green.
Drywall crews are working on the ceiling of the chapel. The big challenge that remains is the completion of the rest of the chapel and the marble altar.
During this past month we also had the privilege of watching a world renowned
artist at work in the dome of the chapel. Bruno Salvatori, from Italy,
completed the mosaic in the dome of the chapel. It is an incredible piece
of art that contains over 6 million pieces of glass. The image consists of the
Holy Spirit 
at
the top of the dome with Jesus, Mary and Joseph at the Presentation on one side
,
St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila on the opposite side, and an angel
on each side. I've attached a few close-up photos that were taken on the
scaffolding during construction. As soon as the scaffold is taken down
I'll be able to send a picture of the entire completed dome.
Please remember the Sisters and the workers in your prayers.
Pax Domine sit semper vobiscum, Bob & Susan
October 1, 2001
"The Bell"
(click any image for larger view)
+JMJ Praised be Jesus Christ, Well, it's been another busy month at the monastery. Just this last Thursday the large bell (Gabriel) was installed in the bell tower. It looks and sounds beautiful. The bell and all the mounting hardware weigh 1800 lbs. (816 kg) The bell itself weighs 1200 lbs. (544 kg). It rings the Angelus at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM. It also rings from 6:53 AM until the beginning of Mass at 7:00 AM. The Sisters also have the ability to ring the bell manually whenever they need to. Earlier in the month the driveway and parking lot were paved. Work is continuing on the chapel. The stone columns have been erected and they are installing the structure that will support the vaulted ceiling. The sanctuary is full of scaffolding that has been constructed for the artist that will be creating the mosaic in the dome. We are anticipating that process to begin sometime in the next few weeks. The cupboards have been installed in the kitchen, bread room, dishwashing room and provisory. Drywall is being put up in the speak rooms, turn, and vestibule. The weather here has been perfect for the past couple of weeks. Sunny and 75 degree days. Cool 50 degree nights. It has allowed the landscapers to do some of the final grading and plant grass seed around the monastery. Pax Domine sit semper vobiscum, Bob &Susan |
