Farmington Hills — The Cloistered Dominican Nuns are in need of help to renovate their five-decade-old monastery in Farmington Hills.

According to a February letter from the community’s prioress, Sr. Mary Peter Fox, OP, the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament is “showing its age and deficiencies,” including a leaking roof over its public adoration chapel and “basic repairs” needed to address windows, ceiling tiles, light fixtures and handicap accessibility issues.

According to Sr. Fox, heating and cooling at the monastery is a significant issue. “Our last heating bill was $8,000 for one month,” she wrote. “If the building had insulation we are told that the cost would be greatly reduced.”

While costs to renovate the entire complex, including the area where the community’s 32 nuns live, work and pray, would be near $10 million, the nuns are seeking to raise $3 million to address the most pressing needs first, Sr. Fox said. Those needs include heating and cooling system upgrades, energy-saving measures, handicapped accessibility and safety, and infrastructure improvements.

“Our lives have always been almost totally dependent on the goodness of our benefactors, who realize the importance of our presence as a powerhouse of prayer in their midst as we pray for their needs and those of the whole world,” Sr. Fox said.

To donate to the renovation efforts, visit www.opnuns-fh.org or mail to 29575 Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334. Call (248) 626-8253 for more information.