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considered selling the property to the Oak Creek Ranch, which was
a for-profit enterprise located next to the subject property.
Father Stevens, still in Nova Scotia, heard about this
possibility and was horrified that the land might be used for a
nonreligious purpose. Father Stevens considered it sacrilege to
have the land sold for nonreligious purposes after people had
made numerous donations and contributed so much personal effort
to the monastery. Father Stevens wrote to the Archbishop and
obtained permission to return to Nebraska in 1995 to take care of
the monastery. Although he had expected to die, his health had
apparently improved to the extent he was able to return to
Nebraska, resume the presidency of the Monks Nonprofit, and
assume the duties related to the monastery.
On his return, Father Stevens found the monastery in
financial disarray. The Monks Nonprofit had continued to receive
some donations, but it began experiencing difficulty in keeping
current on its outstanding debt. Although the Monks Nonprofit
was continuing to pay the debts in the ordinary course, it was
becoming increasingly difficult to keep current with the payments
owed. Father Stevens realized that all of the monastery’s assets
had to be liquidated to pay the liabilities. Father Stevens
agreed with the Archdiocese in the summer of 1996 that the
property would be sold to pay the debts of the Monks Nonprofit.
In September 1996, Father Stevens sold 210 acres of the land
to an unrelated third party for $63,000. This left only the 30
acres around the monastic structures for the Monks Nonprofit to
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