News & Notes from Holy Wisdom Monastery
Enrich your mind and spirit—visit the monastery library! April 2023 The monastery library added the following books to its collection: Koosed, Jennifer L. Judith. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2022. Maloney, Linda M. Acts of the Apostles. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2022. Nolan, Albert. Jesus before Christianity. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2022.
Author: Julie Melton Lost Lake is living evidence of the last glacier in southern Wisconsin. As the glacier melted, huge chunks of ice were separated from the receding edge. Rivers of melt water gushed around it depositing 30 foot deep layers of silt, rock, and gravel. Lost Lake was born when the ice melted leaving a depression in the landscape. Ground water, rain, and snow fed it. After the glaciers receded, life returned, eventually greening the landscape. Ancestors of the Ho-Chunk who lived throughout this area were attracted to the lake. This space was so sacred to them that they …
The Sisters at Holy Wisdom Monastery, Madison, Wisconsin welcome and celebrate International Women’s Day. We are a small community of Benedictine women who enjoy and benefit from an international world view. Our community is a member of the world-wide Benedictine order begun in the sixth century. Our interests and work focus not only locally but on sisters’ communities and work in Africa, Asia, South America and Europe. Travel to these countries prompts a desire and understanding for collaboration. After a visit with sisters in Korea, Korean sisters came to our monastery to learn English. They attended classes at WESLI – …
Since the Fall of 2021, volunteers from Madison Audubon and Holy Wisdom have been monitoring windows at the Monastery and Retreat & Guest House for bird collisions. The volunteers detected 21 window collisions during fall 2022. This was more than the combined number of collisions documented during the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022. The greatest number of collisions occurred at glass doors at the Retreat & Guest House courtyard. Dr. Amy Alstad, the Director of Land Management noted “This is a protected area with vegetation that is attractive to song birds. As soon as it warms up, we …
Enrich your mind and spirit—visit the monastery library! March 2023 The monastery library added the following books to its collection: Koosed, Jennifer L. Judith. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2022. Maloney, Linda M. Acts of the Apostles. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2022. Nolan, Albert. Jesus before Christianity. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2022.
Feb. 10 is the Feast Day of St. Scholastica. Scholastica is the twin sister of her more famous brother Benedict of Nursia. They grew up in a wealthy family and they both founded monasteries in the sixth century. Everything we know about them comes from a book written by Gregory the Great after Benedict’s death. Scholastica is mostly known for her great love of the spiritual life and for her fervent prayer. The famous story is that these siblings would leave their monasteries once a year to meet for spiritual conversation. On the last occasion of their meeting, they spent …
Father Ken Smits, Capuchin, Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order, Detroit, Michigan, died on February, 4, 2023. He made a great contribution to the liturgical and ecumenical life of Holy Wisdom Monastery during the 14 years he worked at the monastery. Father Ken was hired as director of Benedictine life ministries in August of 1994. He served as the liturgist and program director at the Monastery of Saint Benedict Center (now Holy Wisdom Monastery) until 1998. That year he started dividing his time between the liturgy department (prayer & worship) and the spirituality department. Father Ken worked with …
Kenneth Smits, OFM Cap. | 1938 – 2023 Brother Kenneth Smits, OFM Capuchin, died peacefully on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at the age of 84 at Appleton Medical Center in Appleton, Wisconsin. Br. Ken was born May 23, 1938, in De Pere, Wisconsin, the 2nd of seven children. At an early age, he developed a love of reading. He would carry this passion with him his entire life. In 4th grade, he began piano lessons. His love for reading and music would be intertwined with his vocational calling. Learning of the desire to follow a vocation, his local pastor enrolled …
Enrich your mind and spirit—visit the monastery library! February 2023 The monastery library added the following books to its collection: Benders, Alison. Recollecting America’s original sin. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2022 Bracken, Joseph. Reciprocal causality in an event-filled world. Lanham, MD; Fortress Academic, 2022 Chittister, Joan. Awakenings. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2022 De Waal, Esther. The White stone. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2021 Kohlhaas, Jacob. Human families. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2021 Lohfink, Gerhard. The Our Father. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2019 McCruden, Kevin. A Body you have prepared for me. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2013 O’Murchu, Diarmuid. Beyond the …
Enrich your mind and spirit—visit the monastery library! January 2023 The monastery library added the following books to its collection: Benders, Alison. Recollecting America’s original sin. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2022 Bracken, Joseph. Reciprocal causality in an event-filled world. Lanham, MD; Fortress Academic, 2022 Chittister, Joan. Awakenings. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2022 De Waal, Esther. The White stone. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2021 Kohlhaas, Jacob. Human families. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2021 Lohfink, Gerhard. The Our Father. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2019 McCruden, Kevin. A Body you have prepared for me. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2013 O’Murchu, Diarmuid. Beyond the …
