Project 3411 - Renovating the roof of a building
Benedictine Community of Ampitiya (Sri-Lanka)
The Sylvestrine congregation has been present in Sri Lanka since 1875 (Kandy). This was its first foundation outside Italy. The growing number of young Indians joining the community made it possible to found rapidly in India. The priory at Ampitiya was set up on the outskirts of Kandy in 1927 and became the Mother House for the other houses that flourished from it in Sri Lanka.
The community is made up of forty-four brothers, including seven temporary professed monks and two novices.
The brothers grow rice. They are involved in pastoral work, running parishes and a retreat centre, as well as schools for the children of the poorest families.
Request
The building used for the young monks in training is 65 years old and in a very poor state of repair. It includes the young people’s bedrooms, study rooms, laundry and washing facilities. The roof has been damaged for many years, with water running down the walls creating cracks and impregnations, and there is constant dampness. The monks have repaired the damage locally, but this is no longer enough: after analysing the whole structure, engineers have declared that the entire roof and buildings need to be renovated and replaced. Sri Lanka is undergoing a very serious economic crisis, which has tripled prices, and the brothers do not have the financial means to complete this project.
Requested amount: 20,000 euros.
