North Forty

The real purpose of a rectory is to be a place of solace and renewal for the priest. Many times this is already the case. Other times you have to do some work to make it so. With a little love, our rectory now serves this end well. 

The rectory in Buffalo serves many purposes. Being built in 1953 or so, the Church obtained it around 1967. Since then, it has served as both office and rectory. With such a set up, you definitely need some designated personal space. Behind this door is the Cowboy Priest's North Forty. 

The entire house has been well kept over the 70 years of its existence. Before moving up here from the basement, it was a good time to refreshen everything. 

In the bedroom we gently restored the floors and painted the walls. 

Then put in the bed and new blinds. 

A couple reminders of home and she's ready to go. 

The bathroom was totally functional and straight out of 1973. 

I can hardly remember the last time I took a bath.  

For this job, we hired a contractor. New drywall, vanity, and flooring. 

And a walk-in shower!

The chapel we pretty well left the same, with the exception of a cool old light from the church. 

Both my predecessors had an Eastern vibe. Works. 

This was the old pastor's office, next to the bedroom. Last fall we moved that office into the designated office space. That left this room wide open.

So we did the same as the bedroom. 

And made into a cowboy corner. 

Giddy up. Just as a monk has a cell to retreat from the world. So a parish priest has a rectory to refresh his soul. This is a beautiful rectory and I thank God for all the hard work that has gone into keeping her strong all these years. With a little updating, she's now ready to serve the next batch of priests that cross her path. Let's ranch.