Benedictine Monastery owner Ross Rulney said a chance meeting with Catholic Community Services led him to open the monastery's doors to its volunteers. He explained more about his decision, as well as his eventual plans for the property.
"I have the space and I don't have a use for it right now. I've made it available to other choir groups just to bring life into the property while I don't have any real benefit or economic benefit to it. If there was ever a need or a use for it, this has got to be right up there," Rulney said.
Rulney said his agreement with Catholic Community Services to operate the shelter extends through May. In the meantime, he is going through a rezoning process so he can build high-end apartments on undeveloped areas of the property. He would like to turn the monastery into a public space that could include a mix of residential and retail space.
"I imagine the chapel will absolutely be a public space that people can come in throughout the day and maybe the evening … where it's really just an active, warm, lit-up environment," Rulney said.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.