(3) New Monk

As for St. Benedict, it wasn't as easy--at first.  Even in translation

his Rule seemed so strange to my mind.  It took some time to

realize that this great saint was writing for men at the cusp of the

Dark Ages in Europe, while at the same time the old Roman 

Empire was crumbling all around--and vandals were roaming

the countryside.  Talk about a tough situation, when civilization

was nearly lost and chaos was rising to a crescendo.  Those

first Benedictine monks were undoubtedly looking for some

sort of *stability.*  So it came as no surprise that Benedict's Rule

emphasized Stability in place.  His monks would spend their

entire life at the monastery,

I wondered aloud about the few traditional Benedictine monks

we know of today,  The answer was that not only does Time 

bring Change, but Change brings forth Tradition.  That left me

scratching my head.  Our novice master impressed upon us that

we need remember that since Benedict wrote his Rule some

fifteen-hundred years and more had passed.  The centuries saw

the return of civilization: the Renaissance, the Age of Reason, 

the Industrial Revolution, Modernity, High Technology, the

Information Age, Global Economics, Religious Pluralism, unto

our own Times moving steadily beyond the cusp on into the

Third Millennium.

Having lived through all this Time of Change, the Benedictine

Tradition adapted and survived throughout.  The Laity became

ever more involved, engaging the Benedictine Tradition in 

terms of spiritual development.  Hence the great pillars of this

tradition, such as Stability, Work and Prayer, the Love of Learning,

Apatheia, Hospitality, Meditation, Peace, Spiritual Practices such

as "Lectio Divina," and above everything, "To Seek God"--all

were transposed onto our modern experiences of life.  They 

were the pillars that led to what the traditional Benedictines called

"Conversatio Morum."

"Conversatio Morum" still remains a Latin term in the Benedictine

Tradition.  It was both a vow to reform one's life, conversion towards

a more Christ-like life, as well as to conform more and more into

the monastic life.  Lay people--who committed to the Benedictine

lifestyle the best their circumstances permitted--also considered

this Latin term as basic to their spiritual practice.  And during the

early genesis of the Millennial Monasteries, much that had been

learned from the years of lay experiments with the Benedictine

Tradition was transplanted into our own experimentation.

My novice year came to an end, and I was still exuberant

about becoming a Millennial monk and made my preliminary

commitment to the monastery community.  I took my monastic

name at this time, henceforth known as "Brother Benet."

Then we newly minted monks embarked on two more years

of training.  One year would be dedicated to Monastic Studies

at our monastery and a following year would be spent up at

Stanford University working towards a Master's Degree in

Religious Studies.

Our Monastic Studies program started with the long history of

Western Monasticism, eventually slipping into what was called

"Monastic Inter-Religious Dialogue."  This was about how diverse

monks from different religions and cultures came together and

learned from each other.  For example, Buddhist and Benedictine

monks began visiting one another's monasteries in the late 20th

century, and they benefited when it came to deeper prayer forms

and meditation techniques.  And in class we learned how this

period of diverse exchange impacted on the early founders of

our own Millennial Monastery organization.

As for our connection with Stanford, that was a pleasant surprise.

it was only a year-long program with no thesis required, though

there were research papers.  Also the students decided upon the

concentration of their studies, assisted by a tutor.  So before I

headed up to Palo Alto, to Stanford, I had to think seriously about

the course of study I wanted to pursue.

Talking this over with our Rector, Brother Philip, I examined how

I might firm-up a "focus."  I knew that I still wanted to work as an

architect, particularly in Environmental Design, but how in the

world could I work this intention into a Religious Studies program?

Brother Philip was very helpful.  He suggested that I might look

into studying the field of Eco-Theology.  But I knew that I wasn't

made out to be a theologian.  So we took another turn in our

conversations, and I found a small niche in Eco-Spirituality.

Following the Stanford program, I could teach this still fairly 

new approach to people now starting to attend our monastery

retreats.  Brother Philip felt strongly that by connecting Creation

more specifically with God's Action in the World and God's

intent for us as part of Creation, leads eventually to a greater

connectedness not only to the planet but to the other life forms

that share our Earth Home.

As for my being an architect, Brother Philip said that he also

had some thoughts about this that he would share with me

after I completed the Stanford program.

(2) New Monk

To this day, I cannot pin down exactly "why" I decided that I wanted

to become a monk.  It just seemed a path that I was walking and 

I had arrived.  Weird, maybe--or, put in old fashioned terms, that

the Spirit led me and I, fortunately, had the good sense to follow.

So when the new monastery was nearly ready for occupancy

I approached Brother Philip (who had just become the Rector)

and talked to him about joining the community as a monk.  I

had concerns that I wouldn't be accepted, because I was still

a little confused as to the "why" I wanted to become a monk.

On the other hand Philip noticed my determination.  Anyway, 

to make a long story short, the Rector put it to the new 

congregation that had finally begun moving into their new

monastic quarters.  And they "approved" of me.  I guess all

those months of friendly chats with the San Ysidro squatters

helped me along my way.

So, by the end of that summer, I entered into the Novitiate of the

Millennial Monastery California.

There were only four of us novices or postulants as the monks

preferred calling us.  After settling into the brand new novice

quarters, before our training and classes began, I had time to

reflect as well as look around.

First I was grateful to my architectural firm where I had worked for

three years.  The management was surprised but fascinated by

my decision to become a monk.  However, as they put it--"If you

ever change your mind, you will have a position here."  That was

really nice of them.

I thought about my family as well.  My parents and my siblings

took my decision in stride as they shook their heads in bemused

bewilderment.  They asked if they could come and visit me at 

the monastery eventually.  Of course I knew they not only might

want to see me, but see *who* these people are who roped me

into the monastic life.  Eventually they did make the long trek to

the San Ysidro Mountains, but not until I was finished with my

year-long novitiate.

Looking around, too, I noticed that some new monastic faces

were now walking around the monastery.  They volunteered

to transfer to California from their monastic house in Arizona.

For the first time I saw some female monks at San Ysidro.

Later I found them to be an interesting lot, some working as

health professionals as well as theologians.

But in short order our training began, beginning with a basic 

overview of what it meant to be a monk at the Millennial

Monastery.  The Novice Master, Brother Michael, talked

about their non-traditional monastic approach, about the

ceremonial roles of the monks, about the Benedictine

Tradition, which I had already discussed lots with the

squatters and Brother Philip when I was viewing the

monastery under construction.  So by this time I wasn't

too shocked about the non-traditional approach "Seeking

God" or trying better to relate spiritually with what some would

call "Ultimate Reality" via our modern knowledge-base.

What did surprise me was the fact that some monks, out of

necessity, occasionally lived outside the monastery for long

periods of time.  This was mainly because of their chosen

work.  Sometimes it was just too far to commute, or perhaps

they had to travel when it came to their "outside" occupation.

In this case, they kept in constant touch via advanced 

communications and occasional return visits to the monastery.

We were also astounded by how much the monastery relied on

advanced computer technology.  Every monk had high

performance computers and communication viewers in their 

respective study and office.  The Novice Master laughingly

put it, "this shouldn't be surprising, when you think back on

medieval monastic history with its scriptoriums--or even into

modern times, when monks started becoming WebMasters

as a way to support their monasteries financially.

Our classes were held in the new buildings out in the gardens.

Once in awhile I dared to take my mind off the Book of Common

Prayer or St. Benedict's Rule and gaze out onto the gardens.

Though I helped in the planning of these gardens, most of the

work was done by a landscaper who lived not far from the

San Ysidro Mountains.  Kind of daydreaming, I thought that

he was a good man to know when it came to my future projects.

That thought really woke me up, so to speak.  Later in my room

I realized that in spite of being a novice monastic, I still very much

thought of myself as an architect.  At that point I started to wonder

how I might engage in this earlier profession when the time came

when I became a full-fledged monk.  But my mind shifted again,

towards my preliminary profession as a Millennial monk.

My novice year swept by fast.  Not surprising I suppose, since I

was learning almost totally new bites of information that had 

never passed my mind before.

Though I had been an Episcopalian, I never knew much about

the Book of Common Prayer--which was the "backbone" of the

Anglican Communion.  When I did go to church, we just read

from pre-printed sheets when it came to participating in the

Sunday service.  At that time I didn't even realize that the words

on those sheets came from the Book of Common Prayer.  All

those years of church schooling, going to chapel as a kid,

some of the "obvious" never made a dent.

However, at the monastery I began to develop such a devotion

towards this great Book.  We monks, of course, are much into 

the Psalms that we followed via the Book. I loved as well the

wonderful prayers, for all seasons, for all occasions, available

in the Book.

(1) New Monk

Chapter 3.  New Monk

While the new monastery was being constructed, I spent a lot 

of time out at the San Ysidro property--talking to Brother Philip

and the other monks there.  Mainly I was interested in their

monastic vocation.  And the fact that I was interested actually

surprised me.  During my youth, as I said, I essentially "endured"

Religion.  Maybe other interests dominated during that period,

but I distinctly remembered that Religion seemed boring and

had little to do with my life or who I was at the time.

Of course, now, I know that my youthful feelings were probably

not uncommon.  Many of us culturally inherit our faith systems,

and we become members of a given "tribe"--like being a Christian

or more specifically an Episcopalian.  After I went to CalPoly and

later Taliesin West I had pretty much shook off the residue of

what I had considered to be superficial Religion.

Still, I wasn't an atheist or even a humanist.  I simply was too

busy to care much about religious or philosophical concepts

of Ultimate Reality or God.  But this I do remember, I *cared*

about our planet, about Mother Earth.  I remember, too, delving

a little into the spirituality of the American Indian when it came

to their attitudes toward Nature.  Of course the background for

this interest might have been the fact that since my birth the

focus in our society was about going "Green."

This Green Movement grew steadily over the decades of my

youth, and I have little doubt that was why I chose majors

that had to do with the Environment when it came to my

architectural training.  Our society had finally reached a 

level of understanding about the correlation between resources

and sustainability.  And in the early part of the Third Millennium

we had begun to realize that we had nearly ruined our planet

because of destruction and depletion.  Hence, with Humanity's

back-to-the-wall, there was a major turnaround when it came

to our thinking and effort towards helping restore and protect our

planet.

So I joined-up, so to speak.  But I hadn't yet viewed any of this

from a spiritual perspective--until I started talking with the monks.

Brother Philip mentioned that he admired my devotion to the

environment, when he learned about my architectural focus on

Environmental Design.  He mentioned that eco-theologians the

past few decades had been working into not only Natural and

Evolutionary Theology from a spiritual point-of-view, but also

Creation Theology.  Well--this was news to me!  I had never

heard of any of this that Philip was telling me.

Over time he talked about the Benedictine Tradition which the

Millennial monks followed, how it helped restore Civilization

after Europe fell into the Dark Ages following the fall of the

Roman Empire.  The monks back then re-taught the peasantry

the rudiments of agriculture as well as how to establish fisheries.

Small efforts maybe, but they went a long way.  Eventually the

monasteries started educating some of the people who had

fallen into the darkness of ignorance.  And in due course towns

were built around the monasteries.  Western Civilization grew

forth out of the monks' efforts.

I also was intrigued by the professionalism of the monks still

squatting at San Ysidro.  Most were into religious studies one

way or another, some teaching at our local universities or

community colleges.  But there was also an aerospace engineer

who commuted from San Ysidro over to the nearby city of

Chula Vista where he worked for a company that build aircraft

engines.

Anyway, over time, I felt more and more drawn to these new style

(or non-traditional) monks.  They adhered to a monastic vocation

when it came to their ceremonies and their spiritual development

as specified within the ancient Benedictine Tradition.  And yet

they managed a modern outlook and extended such in their 

lives, both at the monastery and in their work on the outside.

I was very much impressed how they *shared* their lives with

others, who very much gained from knowing them in one

capacity or another.

(3) New Monastery

It took some time doing the architectural design for the new

monastery.  Even before I could set to work I had to talk to not

only Philip but the other monks residing on the San Ysidro site.

They provided a written-out overview of what they needed,

which was helpful.

The chapel was to be the centerpiece of the monastteru.  And on

opposite sides of the grounds, facing the chapel, they wanted the

monastic living quarters.  Though avant-garde when it came to

being a dual monastery, they still thought it wise to separate the

living quarters of the men from the women.  And at the far ends,

there would be other quarters for the novices and visitors.  There

were numbers, too!  Their ideal was a full population of sixty for

each monasteru that would eventually be built.  Also, in the

monastic quarters, each monk would have not only a bedroom

and bath but also a connected study and office,

I was somewhat taken aback, expecting that they would demand

something more austere.  But the traditional monk's cell was not

part of their vocation.  In spite of the multi-billion dollar inheritance,

these monks committed themselves to also bring money into the

monastery.  In other words, beyond what they might bring with

them, once they committed and were accepted by their fellow

monks, future earnings were expected to be forthcoming and

handed over to the greater community.  In a nutshell, these 

monks were expected to work for a living.

Additionally, the monks wanted two classroom buildings built

out in the garden areas.  Monks have always been "big" into

gardens, and these monks were no different.  Landscaping,

alone, would be a serious task in terms of vegetation selection

and design.  Not easy, because building successful gardens

pre-supposed knowing the climate and soil one would encounter.

Of course there were a lot of fine details, but all around I had my

work cut out for me.  It was going to be a really big assignment

not only for me but also for my firm.  Fully aware of this responsibility,

I quaked a little in my shoes.

But once my design was completed, accepted by the Millennial

Monastery community as well as my management, the wonderful 

part of the work began.  Fortunately our firm was plugged into local

construction companies as well as professional landscapers.

And, of course, the hardest part was working through all the

county ordinances.  As the architect-in-charge, I spent a great

deal of my time overseeing the steady rise of this new monasteru.

And one wonderful day there it was in all its splendor.  The

Millennial Monastery California was open for business.  Other 

monks from Arizona came pouring in, joining the squatting monks 

who happily returned their rental trailers.  It had been a long

eighteen months, but well worth the time.  I looked at "my"

creation and was proud as a peacock.

There was another reason for my happiness, too!  After some

considerable deliberation, I had chosen this new monastery

to be my new *home.*

(2) New Monastery

Though I had lived in the Phoenix area when attending Taliesin

West, I had not visited other parts of Arizona.  So Flagstaff proved

a revelation for me.  Northern Arizona was totally different, not

at all a desert but rather mountainous and covered with Ponderosa

Pine.  Consequently, when we entered the "Millennial Monastery

Arizona" (as it was called), I  found the whole place built in the

style of Pioneer Timber.

As the Rector explained to me, it was the intent that in each State--as

they continue to build new monasteries--to reflect the State's history

architecturally.  He said that the early buildings in Flagstaff itself

were Pioneer Timber, as they put it.  With this thought in mind, the

Rector asked me what ideas I might have in mind when it came to

reflecting California's architectural history.

Well, I certainly didn't have to pause over this.  Early California was

all about the "Mission Era" and the "Rancho Era," the one following

the other over a short period.  Many of the old Franciscan Missions

had been renovated and still serve as churches, though most visitors

view them now more as museums.  And the early ranch houses were

oft made of adobe, had tile roofs.  Also, the bigger ranches consisted

of many buildings in this style.  And gorgeous landscaping, replete

with verandas, proved highly popular.

The Rector smacked his knee in approval of my approach and said

"that's exactly what we were thinking, too!"  Relieved, we talked

generally into the fine details of such a project--like how many

inhabitants (who were both male and female monks), what kind of

activities required what kind of buildings, and the proximity of buildings

to one another.  In other words, the layout of the monastery.  The 

monks, who evidently were the project committee, then provided 

me a list of their considerations.  At least I had something to go on.

Finally we had to get down to brass tacks, so to speak--the

"financing" of this project.  "Not to worry," exclaimed the Rector.

I did wonder, but I waited until we were outside and talked to

Brother Philip about the money to pay for this new monastery in

California.  Again astounded when Philip explained that a multi-

billionaire had "willed" the Millennial Monasteries organization 

his wealth.  They had money to burn.

Naturally I was more than curious about this, as to why ever a 

financial tycoon would leave his money to a bunch of monks.  It

was at this point that Philip slowly started to explain that "this"

monastic group was really rather different from traditional

monasteries.

Back in San Diego Philip and I had some long talks about the

Millennial Monasteries.  This was necessary, understanding not 

only the functions of a given place--but also the philosophy that 

stands behind the architecture.  It should not only be about the 

property, but also about the people who live there.  

What Philip told me over the course of a few days was nearly

revelatory for me.  I kept saying "wow" to myself, as he proceeded.

First he provided a background scenario, in that since before the

beginning of the millennium some 30 years back there has

been simultaneously both decline in traditional religious groups

along with the emergence of new non-traditional groups in both

Religion and Spirituality.  Pluralism was thick in the air, but over

time it was either thinning out or, in some cases, becoming more

concrete.

Nonetheless, the Millennial Monasteries was pragmatic.  They 

had the good sense to build on structures that seemed to work 

over the centuries.  They were definitely not Utopian.  Over time they

decided on two pillars that they maintain right up to the present

time: the monastic Rule of St. Benedict and the Anglican Book of 

Common Prayer.  Albeit, it must be said that these two pillars have 

definitely been interpreted in very creative ways, especially when it 

comes to meeting those "issues and insights" of our owntime.

However, I wasn't too surprised about the dual nature of the

Millennial Monastery.  Women had come to the forefront of 

religious and spiritual circles decades back, corresponding with 

the influence they have held in the professional ranks.  Separation 

along gender lines was no longer tolerated, so I could only nod 

my head in agreement as Philip talked of the dual character of 

his monastery.

And as he talked I slowly came around to realize that once the

Millennial Monastery California--as they already called it--was

up-and-running, that Brother Philip had been selected to be

their Rector. They preferred this title to "Master" or "Abbot" or "

Abbess."  In Latin the word "Rector" meant governor or leader or 

steersman (a tutor).

More detail spilled out, in that there were no priests or reverends

amongst the Templars.  They went simply by the title of "Sister" or

"Brother."  As for ceremonial functions, they borrowed heavily 

from the Anglican rituals, always employing the Book of Common

Prayer.  As for individual spiritual development, they leaned on

the major elements within the Benedictine Tradition.  And to Whom

were they dedicated?  To God, to the Holy Spirit.

I wondered aloud, are these monks "Christian"?  Philip replied 

that all the monks were devotees of the Christ, as they have

and will come to know Such.  For many of the monks, Christ for 

them is the "Cosmic Christ" or in more ancient terms, the 

"Pantocrator," the Light of the World, Universal Ruler of the 

Cosmic Realm, the Lord of All Existence.  And what about Jesus, 

where was he in this?  Philip quietly replied that each monk must 

find his or  her own understanding when it comes to the mystery 

of Jesus.

Need I say that I was profoundly fascinated by this monastic

group and their approach when it came to "Seeking God."  They

were different, deep, and (as I was to come to learn over the 

months shared with them--as we slowly designed and built the

monastery)  "passionate."

(1) New Monastery

Chapter 2. New Monastery

My manager walked into my office accompanied by a tall middle-

aged fellow.  He introduced himself as "Brother Philip" from the

Millennial Monastery in Arizona.  He had approached our firm,

because his monastery had acquired land in Southern California

and intended to build another monastery.  

I was somewhat taken aback, because not only were most

churches on the wane but also traditional monasteries.  I knew

that many of the older monasteries had to sell their properties

and bunch up at so-called "mother houses," due to the lack of

new membership, a seriously aging population, and loss of

revenue.  So, yes, I was surprised that here was a monk walking

into my office declaring that his monastic group wanted to invest

in a new monastery.

Sitting back in my chair, I listened to what the monk was saying.

His Arizona monastery was already "full-up," and their long term

plan over the next few decades was to build new monasteries 

in selected States in the American West.

Indeed, there were already monks living in trailers on their

California property.  That really surprised me!  At this point I

began to realize that this would be a priority job.  And I was

grateful, too, that my management was giving me a chance 

taking charge of this obviously big project.  It was apparent

that I would be working on a whole group of buildings, that

also would involve considerable landscaping as well.  This

effort would not be a small little church.  So I was determined

to do my best.

Right off I was amazed at the location where the monks had

decided to buy land.  It was in the foothills of the San Ysidro

Mountains.  Not more than 3500 feet above sea level, these

mountains were not too challenging.  But the monks had

chosen their land well, in that they would be high enough 

to capitalize on the "natural air-conditioning" provided by

the winds blowing through the mountain passes.

However--even before Brother Philip and I drove out there

for a first-hand look, I had to ask about the utilities and the

availability of water.  For decades, other than as hiking trails,

this area was kind of the "orphan child" of San Diego County.

But the State had built more roads into this area, and the 

local Gas and Electric Company had begun running power

lines into the area as well,  They were thinking of eventual

development, that had been very long coming.  It's fairly

far out, and housing construction no longer runs at top

speed.  On the other hand, it seemed nicely remote yet

close enough to civilization for the monks  who were

already living there in rented trailers.

My major concern was access to water.  Again a small

revelation.  The sector's water authority had tapped into a

couple of reservoirs not that far away, and had extended

water pipelines out to the San Ysidro Mountains.  Like the

utilities, they were preparing for future housing--that never

came.

Nonetheless, one immediately obvious problem was FIRE

spelled in capital letters!  Over past decades some serious

fires had devastated parts of the San Ysidro Mountains.

Talking to the monks, who were kind of "squatting" on their

newly bought land, I stressed my concern and informed them

that, though expensive, any buildings we might design for

the new monastery would necessarily have to be built with

high-tech fire resistant materials.  This would raise the

construction costs fairly considerably.  The monks understood,

At this point Brother Philip said that it was time to visit his

monastery in Arizona and talk with the lead monk there, who he

referred to as the Rector.  So shortly thereafter we were winging

our way out to Flagstaff, Arizona.

(3) The Beginning

As graduation drew closer, I began anxiously waiting for a

response from one of the historically greatest architectural

schools in the world: Taliesin West, founded by one of my heros--

Frank Lloyd Wright.  I had decided that I really didn't want to jump

into the business world until I had acquired a Master's in Architecture.

It would give me a "leg up" so to speak.  And since I was only 23

years old, a couple more years of professional preparation wouldn't

hurt.

Need I say that I was more than thrilled when I learned that I had

finally been accepted by Taliesin West.  I quickly hopped a flight

out to Phoenix, went to nearby Scottsdale and checked in at this

famous school.  I was nearly breathless with awe, as I sat in my

Taliesin digs looking out at the edge of the Sonoran Desert.

Before I had to delve into the program I had a chance to familiarize

myself with the locale--and it was no disappointment.  Taliesin West

was "ecologically" designed decades before the public ever 

thought about environmental or ecological issues.  And there was

Beauty to behold, all over the place.

As I was also to discover, the Master's degree work at Taliesin West

involved not only Architecture but also the Landscape and the Fine

Arts.  We would work as "apprentices," getting a hands-on education

that blended the natural and built environments.

Sustainability was also in the forefront when it came to the thinking

at Taliesin West.  For quite awhile they had already moved into the

second generation of sustainable housing that went beyond the

prototypes that showcase sustainable technologies and materials.

Very much in the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright, this effort revolved

around "elegant, efficient simplicity."

In due course I decided upon attaining a combined degree, the

Master of Architecture and Ecological Design.  This added more time

to my stay at Taliesin West, but I hardly took notice.  I was far too

occupied balancing ecological and architectural design, media,

construction technology, and project management courses.

More specifically, the courses I managed to study proved fascinating.

For example, the History of Ecological Sciences, Integrated Bioclimatic

Design (design and technology of climate-sensitive architecture),

Urban Ecology, Exterior and Interior Plantscaping, and Advanced

Technology and New Materials.

Frankly, I  wished that I could have stayed even longer at Taliesin West.

The time there went far too fast.  This always happens when you

are at your best creatively.  But upon receipt of my advanced degree,

I moved towards my next step, back in San Diego interviewing at some

of the better architectural firms for a position.

A pleasant surprise, but I received more than a few offers.  So I had

the task selecting the firm I believed might be best for my career.

Amazed at myself, I actually took a rather pragmatic approach

when it came to my selection.  I chose a firm that really covered the

entire "ballpark" of Architecture: i.e., Architecture Design, Program

Development Planning, Site Analysis and Entitlement Research,

Government Processing, Project Management, Construction

Administration, Interior Design, Space Planning, Sales Center Design,

and Restaurant and Retail Design.

Need I say that I spent another three years just getting a grip on this

spectrum of know-how, if you will.  But it was important to build a

broad base before I even thought about ploughing into a specialty.

Finally I did, however.  I blended Green Design building churches

and developing their landscapes.  And, actually, this so-called

specialty was originally foisted upon me by the firm.  Surely their

thinking was that this was a good place to start.

Truth be said, architects weren't much into building new churches,

since there was little call for such.  Mainline denominations were

shrinking when it came to their membership.  Indeed they were more

than often selling off their properties.  And the Fundamentalist and

Evangelical groups were usually refurbishing old theatre structures

with large seating capacities.  So any new churches being built

were few and far between.

Regardless, I quite enjoyed designing some of the simple but

beautiful little churches I had put my hand to.  I had just turned

30, so I felt that I had plenty of time to move into other kinds of

projects.  Than one day a monk walked into my office, and my

life changed forever.