"The altar has arrived!" (July 29) It didn't take long for word to spread around the monastery, and when it did, some of the sisters went immediately to check out the crates containing the pieces of marble for the altar, ambo, and font. After waiting for weeks for the shipment from Italy, the sisters needed just a glimpse or a touch to confirm that those items were really here.

Now, the last major part of the restoration work can be completed.

Marble workers assembled the granite altar base, fastened the columns, and then lifted the altar table in place.

The water font at the entrance of the church will have a circulating flow of water within the granite bowl.

After an afternoon and evening of family fun, which came at the end of their summer community days, the sisters prayed night prayer in the church to "get a feel of the place." Most of the sisters were home at the monastery for community days and were able to "inspect" the recent restoration work.