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When the Sisters of the Resurrection began planning a renovation to their provincial house in Castleton, they had an unpleasant surprise: They learned that the neighbors hadn't been too happy about the nursing home the sisters built back in the mid-1990s.

"We didn't realize how upset the neighbors were by the trucks," said provincial superior Sister Cecilia Berdar, CR.

Now, those neighbors were worried about an upcoming project: a complete renovation of the sisters' residence.

"We asked the construction manager from Sano-Rubin to come to a meeting with the neighbors," Sister Cecilia said. The nuns invited nearby residents to meet with them and the contractor and architects.

That made all the difference, said Matt Banks, field superintendent for the Sano-Rubin Construction Co.: "They had heard all sorts of rumors. The important thing is to be open, be honest and usually everybody understands once they know what we're doing."

Time to rebuild
The planned renovation of the sisters' residence will cost an estimated $3.5 million. The order took out a loan borrowed against their retirement fund to fund the construction.

"We've had little time for fund-raising," said Sister Cecilia. "We do have a small group of donors who are aging but are still generous."

The work involves converting half of the building that once housed novices to create 15 private rooms for older religious. In a second phase, the sisters will renovate their dining hall, converting half to a meeting or conference room, and downsize their too-large chapel.

The project will not increase the building's size. "People had been concerned about the view, but it will remain the same 'footprint,' the same height," Sister Cecilia added.

Mr. Banks towers over the nuns he works with as the on-site liaison. Their respectful camaraderie was obvious during a tour of the worksite, where concrete floors and walls have been removed and orange fencing marks off open areas.

"Matt usually goes in ahead of us to give the workers a heads-up that we're coming," noted Sister Christine Marie Bykowski, CR, provincial treasurer.

The relationship has weathered the surprises common to most renovations - such as the need for a different method to affix new roofing material, which added $25,000 to the cost.

Changing demographics
An aging membership and fewer entrants to the order prompted the renovations. Seventeen nuns live at the Castleton site; most are 70 and older.

"That's us - we're in that age range, too," Sister Christine Marie interjected with a smile.

Sister Cecilia said the order, in recent years, has had no more than four postulants.

Potential members first affiliate with the Resurrection sisters to explore their interest. Women who feel ready to join become postulants for six to 24 months, then novices for two years, the final stage before they take their full vows.

There is also a third order or group for laypeople, the Apostles of the Resurrection, moderated by Sister Valerie Paccone, CR, who also handles communications for the house.

Renovations were needed because the older nuns needed more room than the small cells the postulants or novices used.

"There was room for a desk, a chair and a bureau," recalled Sister Christine Marie. "If you went in with a walker, you couldn't turn around."

The renovated rooms will also include a bathroom, making life easier for older or infirm religious.

European origins
The Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ was founded in 1891 in Rome by Celine Rosalie Leonarda Chludzinska, a widow originally from what is now Belarus. The order spread to the Americas and in 1907 came to the Albany Diocese.

The New York province includes homes in Castleton and Schenectady, plus two sites downstate and one in New Jersey. The building in Castleton sits on a bluff above the Hudson River, with well-spaced houses behind it to the east.

"Castleton is a small village, and maybe we were kind of a mystery to them," mused Sister Christine Marie.

Sister Valerie said the community meeting worked: "We made some new friends."

(01/27/11) [[In-content Ad]]

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