Dear Friends,
Having a pond on the monastery’s back property has been a joy for us and our guests. It is a peaceful place to pray and relax. We treasure the variety of life and activity that a pond’s ecosystem attracts, including fish, turtles, frogs (LOTS of frogs!), blue heron and other aquatic birds. A few guests have even enjoyed trying their luck at catching some fish, including some very young guests who learned a lesson about the power of prayer (especially prayer to the fisherman St. Peter)! Children who visit the monastery are always attracted to the pond.
During the two years that we have been here, the pond’s aging drainage system has deteriorated at a surprisingly quick rate, especially during this exceptionally wet spring. Water has seeped around the cement overflow drain and has eroded the ground most of the way around it. The water therefore no longer drains out of the pond through the pipe, but flows around the cement slab and erodes the ground. The erosion has created a deep pit that is very dangerous. The draining water flows out of the other side of the dam, down the incline and floods our property and the neighbor’s property. The grass can no longer be cut around this area of the pond because of the danger of collapsing ground. The ground along the side of the pond facing the monastery is also eroding towards the building, and we believe that the ground may be saturated and causing the settling of the foundation on that portion of the monastery.
We would like to fix this pressing problem this summer! After receiving opinions and quotes from several pond excavators, we have chosen a project that includes:
- Packing of clay around the existing cement overflow drain to fill and seal the pit and prevent future erosion,
- Replacement of drainage pipe, with rerouting of pipe to channel water into the drainage ditch along the street,
- Dredging of the inlet to slow the speed of water entering the pond and to reduce erosion,
- Lining of the shore with small rocks to prevent erosion.
The project will cost approximately $5,000. If you are financially able, we ask you to please consider making a donation toward this project. Your donation will help to ensure that the monastery grounds will continue to be a safe and enjoyable place to visit.
If you have been blessed with the financial ability to make a larger donation, we would like to let you know that for donations of $500 or more we will have your name engraved on a bench that we will install near the pond after the completion of the project. Donations may be made in memory of a loved one, if you choose.
Donations should be sent to:
Pond Excavation & Repair Project
Christ the Bridegroom Community
17485 Mumford Rd.
Burton, OH 44021
Please make checks payable to: Diocese of Parma Monastery Fund, and indicate that your donation is for the pond project. With questions, feel free to call us at 440-834-0290.
May our Bridegroom bless you abundantly for your generosity in this time of need!
Sincerely in Christ the Bridegroom,
Sr. Celeste, Sr. Julie and Jessie
Christ the Bridegroom Community
