Retreatants lodge in Versailles Palace, Windsor Castle
MODULAR BUILDINGS PROVIDE
TEMPORARY HOUSING DURING CONSTRUCTION
| Two clusters of modular buildings house retreatants during the current renovations at Manresa. | |||
A handful of rooms in Loyola Hall and St. Peter Canisius Hall (AKA the “Sarpy Hilton”) remain unaffected by the renovations, but approximately 75% of all retreatants now lodge in the new temporary structures. Rented for a half-million dollars, the two clusters of modular buildings have been affectionately, if not humorously dubbed “Versailles Palace” and “Windsor Castle”. Sitting at the edge of the field just beyond Xavier Hall, the temporary housing utilizes much of the furniture and decor from St. Mary’s Hall to lend an air of familiarity to Manresa veterans. Designers of the buildings included spacious corridors and common areas to keep them from being claustrophobic. Bathrooms include numerous sinks and showers, although after some of those delicious Manresa dinners the shower stalls did seem a bit small. Toilet facilities also abound, and all are centrally located. Just outside of the bathrooms, a well-stocked medicine chest provides protection and relief for everything from blisters to digestive challenges.
| Spacious common areas include familiar furnishings from St. Mary’s Hall. | |||
With no help from the confusing signage posted throughout the buildings, you will eventually locate your bedroom in Versailles or Windsor.
| Bedrooms also include some of the same furniture that was used for years in St. Mary’s Hall. | |||
Except for the wall-hung porcelain sink that used to be in each bedroom in St. Mary’s Hall, the rooms are similarly furnished like the old ones. Few of the rooms have windows, and none of them have individual temperature control. The majority of retreatants report that the temperature was quite comfortable, but some found it a bit warm and slept with their doors wide open to invite in some cooler air from the hallway. Others absolutely froze, as the temperature in some rooms dove far below the comfort zone. Fortunately, our retreat captain had forewarned us about the air conditioning control issues. Other tips for future retreatants: Before you park your car on the far side of the library to register with the retreat captain, pull in to one of the unloading zones next to the entrance to Versailles, and bring your luggage to your assigned room. (Note that this suggestion presupposes that you were actually paying attention at the meeting when your retreat captain announced your room number in the first place.) Another idea - no matter whether you are staying in Versailles, Windsor, or the Sarpy Hilton - is to pack an umbrella. Because the temporary housing is not connected to the rest of the campus with covered walkways, and retreatants can no longer dart through St. Mary’s Hall when crossing campus, they may be unaccustomed to scampering through a sudden shower, from one building to the next, without shelter. But above all - remember that none of this really matters when the goal of your retreat is to deepen your relationship with God.