Support

Our great concern - the need to add a small annex to our monastery building

We are well aware that "there is a house for us from God, not made by human hands but everlasting, in the heavens". We are assured of this by St. Paul in the 2 letter to Corinthians. But first "the tent that houses us on earth" – that made by a human hand – must be "folded up." For before we clothe ourselves in a glorious body, we spend our earthly existence in the body that the Lord gave us when we were born. And the body (though initiallyin this carefree period of infancy, childhood and even in some cases of youth when most of us don't experience health issues ) is a pot of earthenware (2 Co 4:7), also in the literal sense – it is weak, fragile, and having reached the limits of fitness at a certain age, no longer can be maintained, and gradually, whether we like it or not, is getting old. And even earlier, the Lord can test one by sending a disease that in no way bypasses convents. So, we need to prepare for what inevitably comes. We already feel how our physical condition changes over time that means, it's becoming more and more urgent to adapt our house for the needs of sick and elderly sisters.

The convent built in 1939 was not designed with this in mind. Besides, at that time, due to the lack of funds only a small and very modest portion of the planned building came to existence. It is, therefore extremely cramped, and non-functional: high, steep stairs, thresholds in almost every room, different levels on the same floor, tiny cells (not fit for a wheelchair), narrow bathrooms and narrow corridors. We also suffer from the lack of necessary rooms like workshops, storage places for materials used for work to help us make a living (e.g., candles to be painted). There are even too few cells.
For nearly 40 years of our mission in Iceland we tried our best, often with your own hands, to remedy the most "burning" shortcomings, but only it was possible to improve the functionality of the building to some extent. We managed, among others, to create a place for a bathroom for the sick, but none of the cells near that bathroom could be used as an infirmary (a cell for a sick person). Within the convent we've exhausted all the possibilities to adapt the building for the sick and disabled. There is, however, a way of adding several extra cells (in the picture the building marked in yellow). Unfortunately, we are not financially able to cope with such an investment. The cost is huge, even though the architectural project, which has already been created, is the cheapest and simplest possible – such are the realities of the Icelandic financial landscape.

We do not have the possibility to obtain support in Iceland – a country with such a small population. Therefore, we are asking you fervently – if someone could help us in this need, or pass this request to someone who has such a possibility – we will be extremely grateful for any, even the smallest support.
At the same time, through the intercession of St. Joseph, we entrust our request to Our Lord who knows best and arranges everything. Trust in Him is the first foundation we lay. It allows us to hope that one day we will be able to inform you that a small but extremely helpful part of the monastery has been erected on concrete foundations – thanks to His goodness, which also opens human hearts to the needs of others. Video

If you wish to support us in this need, make a donation.