Publishing in the Landscape by Calvin B. DeWitt We had driven through the Cotswold district of England a few days earlier, and now I was standing before an impressive group of scholars in nearby Oxford, ready to present a lecture on Creation stewardship. I had been welcomed to the lectern and was ready to begin with an academic introduction. But I put aside my notes, and announced to my audience, “I have just made what for me is an important discovery I want to share with you! It is a powerful and convicting publication on land stewardship. And yet, while …
Sisters continue to care for the earth by adding more solar panels
In 2010 the sisters at Holy Wisdom Monastery received a LEED-platinum certification for their new monastery building—one of the ‘greenest’ buildings in the country. The solar photovoltaic system that was part of the new monastery building generated 8% of the energy needed to operate the building. The goal was to eventually add enough solar panels to produce 100% of the energy needs. Fast forward to October, 2014 and the sisters are closer to this goal as Holy Wisdom Monastery becomes Madison Gas and Electric’s (MGE) largest solar customer with the addition of 463 solar panels estimated to produce 60% of …
Contemplative Dialogue
The following principles for entering into contemplative dialogue are adapted from Bridges to Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton, The Merton Institute, Ave Maria Press. These are the principles that guide respectful and supportive dialogue among the Oblates of Holy Wisdom Monastery. EIGHT PRINCIPLES FOR ENTERING INTO CONTEMPLATIVE DIALOGUE Focus on your “lived experience” and how the Rule, Scripture, or retreat theme connects to your everyday life. Keep your comments rooted in your own experience. Express your own thoughts knowing that others will listen and reflect upon what you say without responding verbally. It is helpful to use “I” statements or to …
Art and music in the monastic tradition
What is the bond that links monastic tradition and the creative arts? The concept of withdrawal from society is central to the tradition of monasticism, a term derived from the Greek monos which means a solitary person. Yet paradoxically monasteries have been fertile hotspots for literature, music and visual art, often functioning as a hub for the nurture and preservation of creative arts down through the ages. Hildegard of Bingen (left), was a 12th century Benedictine abbess, mystic, artist and composer. This icon, created for the sisters by Peter Pearson, graces the wall at Bingen House, Holy Wisdom Monastery. Christian …
60 Years of Living in Community
Sister Joanne Kollasch celebrates her 60 years of living in a Benedictine community with family and friends. (Photo by Kent Sweitzer) Sister Joanne Kollasch has seen a lot of change in her 60 years of monastic life, but what hasn’t changed is Sister Joanne’s commitment to seeking God through a life following the Gospel and the Rule of Benedict. “Benedictine life is a tradition that has lived for so many centuries and on the one hand there are all the values that have come down to us through those 1,500 years, but on the other hand the reason the tradition …
Drawn to Community: Then and Now—People Join Communities Today and Through the Ages for Many Reasons
Community life balanced with prayer, work and study is lived out at Holy Wisdom Monastery in many ways. Women and men began intentional communities centuries ago in the deserts of Egypt. They came to practice ascetical disciplines or to escape the overwhelming responsibilities of life. For many, living alone and facing their personal demons propelled them to come together for ideological support. These intentional communities began in the second and third centuries before the Christian era. In her book, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Benedicta Ward cites the need for repentance for living a life of sinfulness and gives the …
Homecoming!
By Marcia Krater, oblate class of 2008 All oblates and oblate candidates are invited to celebrate 15 years as a community, July 18-20, 2014. Oblates and sisters celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the oblate community.On July 18-20, 2014, the Oblates of Holy Wisdom Monastery will celebrate 15 years as a community! What does it mean to be an oblate? Here is what oblates have said: It “is about sharing and exploring how the Rule of Benedict guides our lives” towards God. “We are a …
Volunteer Spotlight: Karen Bate—Caring for the Bluebirds
Karen Bate monitors the bluebird boxes at Holy Wisdom Monastery. Karen Bate has been caring for the bluebirds for 15 years. A Madison-native, Karen began coming here after the death of her daughter Robin. The bench at the top of the hill by the apple orchard is a memorial to Robin. Paul Boutwell, monastery groundskeeper suggested Karen would enjoy caring for the 19 bluebird boxes located around the property. Karen quickly learned about bluebirds, their habits and predators and is a wealth of knowledge. Before the bluebirds return from the south in March or April, Karen cleans the houses and …
Volunteering in the Garden
Early last summer we were out of town for over a week and returned to find pumpkin vines proliferating in our garden. I had not planted any pumpkin seeds—or so I thought! When I traced the giant vines back to their source I found one, single volunteer—a plant that grew from the seeds of last year’s Halloween pumpkin casually tossed into the garden as compost. Such garden volunteers can be a wonderful surprise! Equally surprising might be the benefits of volunteering in the garden, orchards and prairie at Holy Wisdom Monastery. Gardening is a life-giving pursuit in so many ways. Selecting …
Welcoming New Members
The 2014 oblate class with the sisters. Front row (l-r): Nancy Schubert, Heidi Haverkamp, Cindy Urich, Jane Ayer, Amy Fallon, Laura Woodworth. Back row (l-r): Lynne Smith, OSB, Joe Schubert, Ron Ballew, Marian Wasierski, Ellen Joyce, Jill Graybill, Joanne Kollasch, OSB, Jennifer Dobson, Mary David Walgenbach, OSB.At evening prayer on Saturday, April 26, 2014, the assembly room in the monastery resounded with song, Scripture and affirmation as the sisters and oblate community received the promises of twelve new oblates. In this special service, held once each year, the oblate candidates come forward to receive their oblate pin from Sister Mary David Walgenbach …