St. Gabriel Building Project

We are grateful for the many persons who have donated towards the building project, and especially all your prayers and sacrifices for the success of this new monastery dedicated to St. Gabriel. May God reward you!

Some of the most beautiful churches in this country were built in the years of the Great Depression, solely through the many smaller donations and sacrifices of the faithful. Father Nelson Baker, who built the beautiful basilica of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna, New York, is but one example. Father Baker had a great devotion to the angels, too, as the basilica bears witness, with over 1000 images of angels, though no one knows the exact count!

Many persons have signed up for monthly donations, which is a great help towards sustaining the project as we move along. We have enclosed pledge cards for those who may still wish to sign up for automatic monthly donations, or a one-time donation by check, or debit or credit cards.
A man came into the office one evening to update his credit card information for the monthly donations. His wife had signed them up for $25 per month. He said to the effect, "Sister, I need to change the amount. We really don't have any money right now, so I want to change it from $25 per month to $50 per month. God cannot be outdone in generosity, so I want to be generous with Him!"

Another woman with her husband on disability made a special effort to donate $1000 over 10 months last year. This month she called again and said, "Sister, I want to start that again. Make sure I'm down for my first payment in March!" May God reward such faith, trust and generosity of these two families, and of the many others who have been so generous with God and His holy angels! We pray that they may watch over you in a special way, and in particular, St. Gabriel.
On the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes this past February (a cold wintry day in Carrollton, Ohio!) the priests and brothers constructed and erected a large Cross on the highest point of the St. Gabriel property. From this vantage point one can see for many miles. We attached a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, who is also the "Immaculate Conception". She was chosen since the Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the Diocese of Steubenville.

When the Superior General, Fr. Joachim Welz, ORC, and a General Councilor of the Order, Fr. William Wagner, ORC, came over from Rome to discuss further plans for the monastery, they took the opportunity to bless the Cross on March 3rd during the Passio Domini in the presence of a small representation of the community and a couple of lay members. May we always be faithful to our vocation as Brothers and Sisters of the Holy Cross, and may this first structure bring many blessings on the property! Salve Crux, spes unica! Hail holy Cross, our only hope!