Today is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. Irish roof thatcher William Cahill installed roof thatch on the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel at Kinstone Circle in Fountain City, WI, in 2011. He returned to the cordwood and timber structure recently to, as he said, “tidy it up before winter.”

William was pleased with how the roof thatch reeds were aging and predicted that, weather permitting,  they should survive as long or longer than a traditional shingle roof.

I recorded this interview while William was in Wisconsin working on the project. To learn more about William and his ancient craft, visit https://www.roofthatch.com.  For information on Kinstone visit https://www.kinstonecircle.com.  Fountain City is just across the Mississippi River from Winona, MN, a popular fall foliage drive.

Stop by to see William’s work and connect with the spirit of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals and ecology.