Homily by Calvin DeWitt, October 19, 2014 Readings: Genesis 2:4-9,15; Colossians 1:15-20. Our readings today from Genesis and Colossians help us to learn about our privilege and responsibility to care for the land God has entrusted to our care. Genesis 2:15 gives the commission to avad the Garden and to shamar it. And the hymn of Colossians, (1:15-20) tells us that is through Jesus Christ that God creates, sustains, and reconciles ta panta. The Hebrew word avad in Genesis is variously translated, till, tend, cultivate, work, and serve. It is a word with a constellation of meanings all centering …
Myth #209 – All nuns prefer black
Not necessarily. Benedictine Women of Madison prefer green. On October 15, 2014 we posted a link to an article about the newest solar panels on our “green” monastery building and retreat and guest house, but the story begins much earlier: “Benedictine women in Wisconsin are practicing new (and ancient) ways to save the earth, starting with the home front. New growth has a history of springing to life at Holy Wisdom Monastery in Madison, Wisconsin — and that’s just fine with the Benedictine sisters there.” These lines introduce Sister Act, an article by Betsy Shirley, published in Sojourners Magazine, which details the history …
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 …
Nature Notes Fall 2014
Restoring the health of the land at Holy Wisdom Monastery The sisters, and their many friends, at Holy Wisdom Monastery have been working at renewing the ecological health of their land for nearly two decades. During that time they have restored over 95 acres of tall grass prairie, the kind that occupied some of this land prior to European settlement. In doing so, they have increase the biological diversity on their land; providing a place to live, and food to eat, for animals, birds, insects and many other organisms. The motivation of the sisters to care for the earth in …
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 …
Nature Notes Summer 2014
Prairie dock growing at Holy Wisdom Monastery We had a spring with lots of moisture. The good news is that all the plants are growing vigorously, providing cover and lots of food for all the critters that live at Holy Wisdom Monastery. The bad news is that the weeds, those non-native invaders of the prairie, savanna and woods, are also growing vigorously. So Paul Boutwell, many volunteers and I have been busy trying to rid the natural lands of these weeds. Garlic mustard in the shady places and reed canary grass in the open areas, are a couple of examples. …
Holy Wisdom Monastery’s new solar panels to boost solar energy production to 40-50%
We wanted to provide this update to all Sunday Assembly members, Oblate community members, and donors to the LEED-certified platinum building campaign at Holy Wisdom Monastery. You may notice work being done on the roofs of the monastery and retreat and guest house at Holy Wisdom Monastery. Several new photovoltaic solar panels are being installed that will increase the solar energy production for the LEED-certified platinum monastery building from about 10% to an estimated 40-50%. The sisters had an opportunity recently to work with a private investor group who will purchase the new photovoltaic panels and receive the tax incentives. The only new cost to the sisters will …
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 …
Wisdom Prairie Project Continues to Build Momentum
Preparing the new land for prairie restoration, April 2014. The Wisdom Prairie Project, our current $1.9 million campaign to acquire and restore an additional 53 acres to native prairie and oak savanna, has experienced some great momentum in the past couple months. We have now raised $1,640,000 and have $260,000 to go. A member of our oblate community donated $25,000 to the project in honor of her late mother and step-father. Her mother used to enjoy walking on the grounds here. We also received a generous grant of $30,000 from the Madison Community Foundation, which encourages, facilitat es and manages long-term …
Friends of Wisdom Prairie
Educating Community Workday volunteers about the birds at Holy Wisdom Monastery on an early morning bird watching hike. Care for the earth is an important part of the mission at Holy Wisdom Monastery. This reverence for creation is a Benedictine tradition. Our efforts and the commitment of all those who help us preserve, maintain and restore this place go beyond green trends. For us, it is a way of life. We strive to use only what we need so that resources can be preserved for others. The sister’s recently embraced the idea of forming a Friends of Wisdom Prairie support organization to facilitate …