Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of St. Benedict Center raising money to buy 77 acres

By William T. Clew | The Catholic Free Press

HARVARD - The Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of St. Benedict Center in the Still River section of town are in the process of raising $1.7 million to buy 77 acres of mostly open land next to the Center.
Town building codes restrict the amount of development on the three acres the Center owns, according to Sister Katherine Maria, MICM, Sister Superior. There is a school, a chapel and residences for the Sisters and Brothers on their site.
Sister Katherine Maria said the Sisters have already raised about half of the $1.7 million. That includes receiving enough donations to cover a $100,000 matching gift made by the Father Edward E. Sipperly Foundation. The Sisters will take out a loan to cover the other half of the price and are continuing their fund drive to pay off that loan.
She said the Sisters are negotiating the sale with the family of the late Gordon “Bud” Evans, who own the property. She said the sale could be completed before the end of next month.
Mr. Evans farmed the land, she said. There is a house near the Center’s boundary, which the Sisters want to renovate and heat before winter. There is a small irrigation pond,  with a small cabin on the shoreline and a pole barn on the property.  Otherwise, it is open.
According to the Sisters’ website, “with growing vocations and the growing associates, the monastery complex is running out of room.The monastery has an opportunity to expand by purchasing the 77-acre farm adjacent to the school and chapel property. The scenic fields and hills will now enable the Order to literally ‘broaden our horizons’ with a host of possibilities for expanding the monastery.”
The Sisters have set up an online GoFundMe account to help. Their case can be found at www.gofundme.com/monasterygrows. They also have a donation page on their website, www.saintbenedict.com/monastery/donate.
 There are 19 Sisters and nine Brothers at the Center. Another Brother will join the Order in January, Sister Katherine Maria said. The school, Immaculate Heart of Mary School, has two school buildings, one for pupils in grades 1 through 8 and one for pupils in grades 9 through 12. There are 134 pupils in the two school buildings.