Sister Joanne Kollasch, OSB | 1930-2025

MIDDLETON – Sister Joanne, age 95, died peacefully at Sauk Prairie Hospital on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Joanne was born on September 24, 1930, the seventh of nine children to Charles R. and Anna M. (Laubenthal) Kollasch in Whittemore, Iowa. She attended the parish school, Presentation Academy, graduating in 1948. Four years later, a time she often referred to as her “social maturing,” she entered the Sisters of Saint Benedict, Sioux City, Iowa. Because the community was in the process of moving the motherhouse to Madison, Wis., the sisters determined her novitiate would be at Sacred Heart Monastery, Yankton, S.D. In 1954, she made her first monastic profession at Saint Benedict Priory, Madison, Wis., followed by nurses training at St. Vincent Hospital, Sioux City, Iowa.

Mid-way through nursing school Joanne was asked to substitute teach for a sister who had become ill. Following a conversation with her brother, Father Eugene Kollasch, SJ, who suggested she be open to the experience of teaching, and finding teaching much to her liking, she asked to terminate nursing and pursue teaching.

After graduate studies at Marquette University and the University of Notre Dame, Joanne worked and prayed at the monastery in Madison for the remainder of her life. She served as Formation Director, Principal of the high school and from 1967-1977 and 1989-1993 as the prioress of the community. When people commented on her many years in one place, she was quick to recount her blessing of worldwide travel which she believed helped her keep a perspective on the resources and needs of her small community and those of the world.

During her time as prioress, Joanne worked along with the sisters to establish a life-giving ratio between the community’s ministries and community living. In 1966, the sisters closed the school and opened St. Benedict Center, a retreat and conference facility, followed by the transfer of health care institutions in Sioux City, Iowa. In 1980 the sisters initiated new forms of community life at the monastery with the title “Community for the 80s.” She was a founding member of the Community of Benedict, a community of lay people and sisters, Christian and Hindu, that lasted for 20 years. This experience of community opened Joanne’s heart to receive immigrants and refugees from India, Guatemala, Vietnam and China who lived with the sisters for various lengths of time.

Community life was the heart of Joanne’s work and prayer. With her joy, hope and hospitality, she welcomed friend and stranger alike. Her enthusiasm for community helped motivate Holy Wisdom’s outreach in forming the present community of communities. One of Joanne’s phrases worthy of quoting: “There are many doors to enter Holy Wisdom Monastery. One need only find the door that suits one best.”

Sister Joanne is survived by her sisters, E. Dolores Kollasch, Algona, Iowa, and Mrs. Irene M. (Kollasch) Bormann, Bode, Iowa. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Louis J. Kollasch of Whittemore, Iowa, the Rev. Eugene Kollasch, SJ, Arnold Kollasch and Clem Kollasch of Whittemore, Iowa; Sister Anne Marie, PBVM of Dubuque, Iowa, and sister, Caroline (Kollasch) Bormann of Bode, Iowa.

A memorial service was held at Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, Wis., on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 3:00 pm. Memorials may be made to Benedictine Women of Madison.

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Submitted by Hannah Keziah Agustin

In the beginning of our day, there is silence. We center ourselves on the presence of God in the basement of Holy Wisdom Monastery’s main building at 7:30 in the morning, our chairs facing toward each other as we pray. Outside of the windows, the prairie sprawls with the bloom of a Wisconsin summer – bergamot, coneflowers and butterfly milkweed decorate the fields in the day’s early sun. Here, Benedictine sisters, retreatants and community members gather for the hearing of the liturgy, the singing of worship and the reading of God’s word. Here, we come expectant.

I signed up for the Summer Steward experience to get a glimpse of monastic life. I’m curious about learning the contemplative rhythms of work and prayer as a young adult who is new to the 9-to-5 and who wants to be faithful to Christ in my job. I live on the other side of Lake Mendota, working on the editorial team for InterVarsity, an interdenominational campus ministry that serves colleges across the nation. I visited the monastery on a retreat day organized by the spiritual foundations department at our workplace. Since I attended, I have felt compelled to return. So, when I saw that they had put together a retreat where we could learn about ecospirituality, Benedictine values and creation care, I knew it was something I didn’t want to miss.

For one week, six women came together to live communally. We ate together, prayed together and slept together. We harvested vegetables from the garden, weeded out invasive species in the prairie and washed dishes in the kitchen after every meal. Most importantly, we learned together what it means to listen – to God, to nature, to our community and to ourselves. “Listen, O child,” says St. Benedict in his Rule. First and foremost, he teaches the importance of heeding to the call of our surroundings, to attend to them with the ear of our heart.

This act of listening connects us with the Divine, our neighbors and our world. This is our beacon in a society that is rife with racial injustice, colonial wars and environmental degradation. It is inescapable. We arrived at the monastery with the smoke from the wildfires in Canada filling the air. But every day, in prayer, we remember those affected by worldly evils and choose to put our hope in Christ. In every meal, we remember those who do not have enough and expect miraculous provisions to come their way. In every reading of Benedict’s teachings, we learn the value of simplicity, hospitality and justice. The spiritual disciplines we did in community helped us to remember the call to rest in God amidst the trials and tribulations we face in our world.

Monasticism taught us to consider the essentials of life – to hold close to our hearts the things that matter most. It taught us to be in a posture of acceptance, which is required when one truly listens. Whether we were discussing an article about ecospirituality and womanist theology or spending our time outdoors during our holy leisure, we saw the beauty of openness. In addition to that, monastic life taught us to be attuned to the connectedness of all things.

When polarization divides us, we are reconciled by our ability to see one another as beloved. Living in the monastery showed us how integrated our humanity is to one another. This is something we should never forget. I cannot help but meditate on this whenever we bow our heads to pray.

In the beginning of our day, there is silence. But at the same time, there is also the clear and compelling voice of Jesus saying, “Behold, I make all things new.” His icon hung on the wall of the prayer room with these words written on the scroll in his hands. These are the words that I pondered in my heart as the week went on. The Summer Stewards retreat gave me an assurance that it is possible to have faith because Jesus is making all things new – amidst the terror of living. I am reminded of this when I look at the flowers that bloom in the prairie, signaling the genesis of this newborn hope.

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By Grace Vosen

“Holy Leisure?”

These were the first words out of my mouth as I read the Summer Stewards program schedule. I wasn’t familiar with that item – and I was unsure if I should take it seriously. Was it a cute joke, or a solemn Benedictine tradition?

I soon learned that the sisters had chosen this phrase to help us see the benefits that leisure could offer. We could use this time for anything, and it didn’t have to refresh us spiritually. But sometimes it might. All we had to do was be open to whatever happened: walking, swimming, meditating, reading or resting.

The three of us in my cohort were open to all of these possibilities. While we came from different backgrounds and had different goals for the week, we shared a desire to grow. We wanted to live more intentionally and deepen our spirituality. Our paths had converged at Holy Wisdom. The community welcomed us with kindness and a sincere interest in our stories.

For the next week, we were immersed in monastery life. We attended prayer, ate meals with the sisters and other retreatants, and shared in chores. The fresh vegetables we harvested in the morning became the dinner we enjoyed in the evening. We helped with restoration efforts on the prairie and in the pines. Everyone had a part to play, and it seemed that everyone worked together well.

Similarly, we learned how the buildings work with the landscape to support a Benedictine way of life. The property seemed like a world in itself. It caused me to think about how I could continue using my talents to serve this community.

And indeed, our “holy leisure” time complemented the scheduled activities. I spent much of it sitting outside and gazing across Lake Mendota, and just as much napping in my room. Although it felt unproductive, the quiet let me process my thoughts in a way that wouldn’t have been possible if the whole day had been scheduled.

It was clear that my housemates also valued these times. Often, in the space between leisure and an activity, we would walk to or from Anna’s House in silence and let the beauty of the land speak to each of us.

Another time when we were encouraged to be open was during Centering Prayer, which was held in the mornings and evenings. We each chose a short word that represented our openness to what God might have to tell us. My word was “still”, as in quiet. I greatly appreciated the chance to be still along with other people who understood stillness.

It is in the stillness, in the moments of silence between psalms, and in the unscheduled times that some of the greatest revelations come our way. It was hard for me to quiet my mind, but not all of the thoughts that intruded were unwelcome. Some have transformed the way I view myself, my relationships, and my role in the world. I simply needed to be open to it.

Grace Vosen was part of the July 2022 Summer Stewards program. She is a naturalist and writer living in Spring Green. Read her blog at DriftlessGrace.com.

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I will be leaving June 1, on a plane back to NYC. I need a good head start to say my farewells and want to say thank you for your warm hospitality and resilience to the faith, hope and love of our Lord. I have learned so much here. One lesson is how a binary point of view harms and limits understanding, compassion, and divides people. The life and practice of Benedictine values is a real discipline and I admire every person who devotes themselves to not giving up. It’s so easy to lose it! The beauty of Christ and the good news is that my return to the Lord is all I need to return to. God’s mercy is so great. Now I feel I have some tools to sharpen as I prepare for the next stop on my journey.

The big question remains, “What’s next?” The strange thing is, “I’m still not sure.” And yet, I have much more confidence that I’ll be ok. For my family and sisters who’ve been waiting for my answer, I’m sure they will be so frustrated. They have made all their plans, including where they will retire and what places they want to travel. I used to feel bad that I’m not more like them. But I also realize my priorities and choices have been different and my lifestyle is one who waits and listens for the Lord to lead me. Then I’m off! The promise I’ve been holding onto since March 2021 has been from Isaiah 55:12 “For you will indeed go out with joy and be led forth in peace.” God has given me this peace, and it really transcends my understanding!

I want to pursue justice work against racism in America. This is a big step for me. God allowed me to learn this about myself and He has opened a way through seminary school. Going through the application process with emotional support and the prayers of the sisters and this community with me, I found the starting point of my new journey in America. (Thank you all and thank God!) The details are not certain but the decision is 75% closer to yes, I will trust God to go forward in faith.

I compare my time at Holy Wisdom this winter with the parable of the Mustard Seed. Mark 4:30-32

30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

Holy Wisdom is like this strong tree, and the Sister’s story is humble and strong. To me the practice of humility is the secret to the strength of the mustard seed story. Birds have returned this spring, activated by the cycle of life. Over half of my time here was participating in Lent and Easter, representing for me humility and celebration centered on Christ. I witnessed the cycle of life in the prairie and have made peace with nature in seeing rest and sleep, life and work, courtship (esp among the turkeys!), growth and death. Perhaps the mustard tree is really the Holy Spirit who welcomes us this way, to come, rest, delight, be in God’s presence. It’s the sisters and the whole Holy Wisdom staff and communities of volunteers who work to make it possible to enter into this much needed spiritual rest and restoration. The life of the prairie sings this. It is a miracle to see every hand who makes it possible. It’s in the giving that we too receive. That’s another mystery.

I was a very weary and confused bird when I arrived. After deeply resting in the shade of Holy Wisdom’s tree, I carry on to where the Lord beckons me. Lord willing I will be able to return with new birdsongs to share and celebrate the Lord’s good and mysterious ways with you.  I will be at the porter’s desk (monastery building front desk) May 18-19 on Wed-Thursday afternoon and hope you will stop and say “See you next time.” The following week I will be on retreat before heading off. See you next time & zai jian!

With thanksgiving and love, 

Mary Chiang

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Recently we’ve been blessed by interactions with three communities of youth and young adults in the Madison area. Earlier this year, Youth Director Becca Feldhacker, from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Verona, reached out to Sister Lynne to invite the sisters to participate in their spring youth retreats on the theme of rhythms, ritual and repetition. In Mid-March Sister Lynne and I joined a discussion panel for nearly 50 6th and 7th graders on the rhythms and rituals of Benedictine/monastic life. The students, parents and coworkers offered us hospitality, prayer and laughter at their beautiful church. We were delighted to reconnect with Pastor Dara Schuller-Hanson who was part of last year’s ECCSR cohort at the monastery. On Palm Sunday, their 8th graders came to the monastery for a work project outdoors and a walk around Lost Lake. They heard from Dr. Amy Alstad, digitally, about her work and how she connects her spirituality to care for the land. Finally, they enjoyed some of Chef Lisa Hoon’s amazing chocolate chip cookies.

Also on Palm Sunday, the sisters welcomed the Interfaith Fellows from the UW Center for Religion and Global Citizenry who were spending an overnight in the RGH on silent retreat to learn about contemplative practices in various religious traditions. Homilist Paul Knitter and oblate David McKee co-led the retreat with the UW instructors. Some of the sisters met with them for a welcome and introductions, they joined us for Liturgy of the Hours, and later in the evening David McKee and I facilitated a discussion on Benedictine spirituality and centering prayer practice. Look for students’ reflections on their time at the monastery in upcoming editions of Weekly Wisdom.

Finally, this past weekend, Nii Addo Abrahams, Associate Director of Campus Ministry, brought a group of students from UW Pres House for their third annual (excluding one pandemic year) ecospirituality retreat. Our conversations touched on the seasons of life, becoming aware of the presence of the divine in the experience of silence and in creation, and how people conceive of God. We also shared aspects of Benedictine spirituality with them – balance, self-knowledge and listening. We were blessed with sunshine and blue skies that day and it was great fun to be outside planting chokecherry and hawthorn shrubs in the prairie outside the dining room. One person shared this thought on the day: “Our conversation about balance, self-knowledge, and God was so enriching. I enjoyed being able to connect the values the sisters shared with us to an embodied experience of planting shrubs.” Several students commented on the meaningfulness of planting the shrubs, which was very gratifying to us. Cultivating a reciprocal relationship with the earth is an essential part of contributing to a spiritually and environmentally healthy future for the entire planet.

It’s an honor to be in relationship with young people, even for just a day. We welcome invitations to connect with young adults and youth in person, virtually, at your place or ours. If you’re interested in gathering together around care for the earth or Benedictine spirituality or values such as silence, listening, awareness of God, community, justice, moderation, please reach out to any of the sisters. You can contact me at denisew@holywisdommonastery.org.

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Every year, Jewish, Christians, and Muslims celebrate their holidays and feasts. But this year, the three Abrahamic religions celebrate their most holy tradition, in tandem. This only happens every 33 years. Each religion celebrates and remembers the very events which define their unique religious identity.

The Jewish Passover (April 15- 23) recalls God’s deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt; Lent and Easter (March 2-April 17) revisits the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as Messiah, Savior of the world; and Ramadan (April 2-May 1) the month on the Islamic calendar where Mohammed was commanded by the angel Gabriel to recite the words of the Q’uran[1]. According to a 2015 study conducted by Pew Research, more than 55.5% of the entire world population identify as Jewish, Christian, or Muslim[2]. It is well worth pausing to consider what could result if over half the population of the earth were to turn to God and agree with one prayer. What would it be? Most of my prayers have to do with what I want for me and for people I know. If the prayer were directed outwardly for God to bless/help/heal my religious neighbors, how would God answer? Moreover, how would I change if I prayed this prayer for a month?

Each religion has their own expressions of faith. They assemble to remember, honor and recommit themselves and their most cherished communities to the God whom they call upon. For Muslims and Christians, this time is set aside each year to fast, pray and give to the poor. All three religions celebrate with feasting and traditional activities bringing new generations into remembrance of God’s work among God’s people.

After living in Morocco for 16 years, the rhythms of Ramadan come almost naturally to me. I know when it’s time to prepare certain foods a month before Ramadan. I remember when my Muslim friends begin to “practice” fasting up to two months before Ramadan. They often fast after Ramadan is over for “extra credit” or to make up for days where they didn’t fast. Particularly for women, the overall time of fasting goes well over a month, when fasting isn’t required while on their period. If a man is caught eating, he could face three months in jail. Restaurants usually close for the month and McDonalds becomes the caretaker’s and the foreigner’s default lunch place.

During Ramadan, generally anyone aged 13 and above who is healthy and able is required to fast from food and water as well as other forms of pleasure, (like cigarettes and sex) during the day. The fast is broken at dusk with a date and water or milk, and other breakfast foods. The regular workday is shortened for a whole month. Traffic at the end of the day in the city of Casablanca is usually full of impatient, strung out, nicotine and caffeine-withdrawn people, trying to get home before sunset and the evening prayer. The Call to Prayer is made through extra-speakers and bull horns set out for the season. In some cities, empty canons are shot and then the Call to Prayer confirms the sunset and begins the evening prayer which is recited in unison.

Ironically, just after all the stressful rush to get somewhere to break the fast, the moment just before the Call to Prayer is one of the most beautiful times of stillness. The silence seems to settle in as all attention is captured by the glimpse of a blazing sky transforming into twilight. Shops are closed and streets are completely empty. Even the birds and alley cats quiet down. Soon sounds of utensils and dishes, and very gentle conversations give way to the relief of the passing of another day and of thanksgiving for the real treasures of life.

Ramadan in my experience is both a beauty, for its idealism and a beast for its reality. The striving toward holiness in the practices of fasting, prayer and mercy is a month-long collective way of life where family, communities and whole nations offer spiritual and physical gifts to God and neighbor. Like all spiritual practices, it is messy and challenging, and the goal is to abide in patience and generosity toward all people, and especially to remember the poor. Often very few people can endure fasting from water and food all day and remain patient, alert and kind. But the moments of revelation, the sense of family, friendship and community, coming together and feasting on the gifts of life, is what is offered in this season.

As a single Asian American Christian woman, renting an apartment above a family of Moroccan Amazigh people, I was welcomed as family, neighbor and friend by Muslims.  When I first went to live in a Muslim country overseas, I expected difficulty. But I never expected my experience with Muslim families to be so extremely good. There are infinite differences about God, religion, the scriptures and the way they are applied in practice between Christians and Muslims. But after living among them as a foreigner, I have heard them say, “Christians are better than Muslims…” For me, I would tell others, “Muslims are better than Christians because they taught me what hospitality is, and especially to the stranger.” Now, after living at Holy Wisdom Monastery, I say, not one is better than another, but both Benedictines and Moroccan Muslims really know hospitality.

La Conviviencia translated from Spanish means, co-existence. It is a term which refers to a nearly 800-year period of time (700s-1492) when Muslims, Christians and Jews lived together neither at war nor in tension with each other[3]. When asking what they thought about Jewish people, my teachers would tell us how they played in the streets together with Jewish kids who identified as Moroccans. Then I heard the story of Sultan Mohammed V, who ruled Morocco during the French occupation and World War II. When Hitler asked for the 250,000 Jewish people residing in Morocco to be handed over to Nazi concentration camps, the Sultan replied, “We have no Jews, only Moroccans.” La Conviviencia, is sometimes referred to by people who long for a kind of utopian world of religious peace and tolerance. The examples I’ve given help me believe that La Conviviencia, even today is possible. I venture to say, my experience in Morocco was like “La Nueva Conviviencia,” a new harmony between religions.

In Miriam Brown and Clare Wagner’s article called Let Us Set Out[4], they quote Ervin Laszlo, father of systems science, “No new chapter in human civilization will ever emerge if we just sit around waiting for a holistic convergence.”  The convergence of Judaism, Christianity and Islam existed in La Conviviencia and reminds us every 33 years that it does happen. In the remaining holy days of this month, what prayers do you offer for the three Abrahamic religions? Might I propose that “La Nueva Conviviencia” find its way in our prayers for all people and all faiths? 

[1]            Jarrell, M. J. (2022, April 11). In 2022 Passover, Ramadan, and Easter all fall in April, a coincidence that happens only about every 33 years. Lees McRae College. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.lmc.edu/about/news-center/articles/2022/in-2022-passover,-ramadan,-and-easter-all-fall-in-april,-a-coincidence-that-happens-only-about-every-33-years.htm

[2]            Hackett, C., & McClendon, D. (2020, May 31). Christians remain world’s largest religious group, but they are declining in Europe. Pew Research Center. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/05/christians-remain-worlds-largest-religious-group-but-they-are-declining-in-europe/

[3]            La Convivencia. (2022, April 11). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Convivencia

[4]     Miriam Brown, OP and Clare Wagner, OP. (2014). Let Us Set Out [Light for Each Other].

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With cups already full of all kinds of grief, it’s difficult for me to begin to express myself. Yet too many lives have been lost due to inaction, silence and distraction, I find myself unable to be as I have been, a “safe” and distant observer. I must begin somewhere even if I will stumble along. Because of the caring nature of the Holy Wisdom community, I hope to offer my experience of racialized trauma* from the Atlanta shootings last year. I invite you to honor the lost lives of the following victims of anti-Asian hate, gun violence and forms of labor society tolerates with little concern for the laborers.

Killed in Atlanta, GA on March 16, 2021:

• Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; Paul Andre Michels, 54; Xiaojie Tan, 49; and Daoyou Feng, 44
• Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; and Soon Chung Park, 74
• Yong Ae Yue, 63

On St. Patrick’s Day last year, I began the day with TV and breakfast. The ticker tape noted that there was a shooting in Atlanta where some women were shot. In light of all the COVID cases and death counts rising, I barely reacted to this news. Like most New Yorkers, shocking events happen all the time, as long as it wasn’t in my neighborhood, life goes on. I logged on to my computer and greeted co-workers.  Later in the day, at the start of a virtual bible study on emotionally healthy spirituality, the lead pastor offered empathetic words acknowledging the event and suddenly I found myself confused, shocked and broken after learning the initial details of what happened. In short, a man in Atlanta, GA went to three locations and gunned down six Asian women in their workplaces, killing eight people in total.

It took a week before I could look up the news reports and many months to decide to understand exactly what happened. I had just moved countries because of the pandemic, had no friends close by to call and it was still unsafe to meet due to the pandemic. I tried to talk to my close friends from overseas but they had their own troubles and offered no understanding. My sisters did not react as I did.  My parents didn’t seem affected except to say, “There’s so much killing all the time.” I attended my Chinese church online whose Sunday sermon title included the word “race,” but it neglected to even acknowledge news of the tragedy. I just knew six Asian women were dead because a man decided to kill them.  I felt as if I was drowning in grief, and no one even acted as if anything was wrong.  Racialized trauma* happens when something terrible happens to someone who looks like you and the event is something that could have easily been you.

The way I understood it, most of the women were going about their lives at work. Some probably needed to retire but couldn’t. Despite the pandemic they were going in to work to make their living. It was clear to me that because they were Asian, they were targeted and killed without any interpersonal provocation with the killer. Their families and loved ones must pick up the pieces of this great personal loss. The rest of society is thankful it didn’t happen to them.

The worst part is the confusion and denial which happened in the conversations around what happened. The reports denied the fact that this was considered a hate crime. The killer went to Asian only places. He targeted Asian women. How could it not be? Yet, the media reported the killer’s words and people listened.

Conversations around the issue of race in America have been commonly about two races: black and white. Because there is so much sensitivity to this issue and using the right language and terminology, few people want to try because they might offend or say something incorrect. Talking about race is hard and painful. I have come to a point where not talking is hurting me more than my mistakes can. And now when I talk, it is because I am in pain.

Asian Americans have been talking, doing the research and taking action. However, our voices are dismissed, ignored and somehow silenced altogether. Perhaps it’s because the race issue usually doesn’t include Asians.  One of the things that irritated me was the public silence of the first days while everyone was still in shock. I finally got something when my sister told me that Trevor Noah (South African comedian and host of the Daily Show) strongly addressed this issue publically. While I was thankful for a voice to say something right, I wondered why it took a Black man to say something, for me to hear this? Where are the Asian spokespersons who have something to say? And well, who are they?

Anti-Asian hate crime in 16 of America’s largest cities increased 145% in 2020 according to an analysis of official preliminary police data by the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, with the first spike occurring in March and April amidst a rise in COVID cases and negative stereotyping of Asians relating to the pandemic. https://www.csusb.edu/sites/default/files/FACT%20SHEET-%20Anti-Asian%20Hate%202020%20rev%203.21.21.pdf)

As I anticipated the anniversary of the Atlanta shootings, that empathetic church sent another invitation, a holding space to grieve the loss of two Asian American women who were brutally killed in New York City. Again, stunned… I am experiencing racial trauma, as it was denied and dismissed from being a racial attack. What can one do but weep and pray to the One who hears. I pass on this prayer:

By John O’ Donahue from his book Benedictus

Prayer for Peace 

As the fever of day calms towards twilight
May all that is strained in us come to ease.

We pray for all who suffered violence today,
May an unexpected serenity surprise them.

For those who risk their lives each day for peace,
May their hearts glimpse providence at the heart of history.

That those who make riches from violence and war
Might hear in their dreams the cries of the lost.

That we might see through our fear of each other
A new vision to heal our fatal attraction to aggression.

That those who enjoy the privilege of peace
Might not forget their tormented brothers and sisters.

That the wolf might lie down with the lamb,
That our swords be beaten into ploughshares

And no hurt or harm be done
Anywhere along the holy mountain.

When the mask mandate was lifted on March 1, I had a strange reaction. I couldn’t take my mask off. I have been living and working among the Holy Wisdom community for two months. Until Covid-19 is eradicated I will continue to wear a mask because of its effectiveness.  While parts of China and Hong Kong are in lockdown, the CDC has permitted most Americans to remove masks.  Now I realize why I couldn’t just cast off my mask.

I associate the wearing of masks to the pain and grief of millions due to Covid-19 but also to the deep injustices which the pandemic helped manifest as root social issues. That is not over. Attacks against Asians, the denial of race-based claims, and inaction is no longer tolerable. Wearing my mask represents many things – that Covid-19 is still killing people all over the world, and that there is much work to be done toward social and racial justice. When I remember how suffocating the mask first felt, how it silenced my speech, and covered my face, and literally choked me, I resisted and despised it. Now, during this Lenten season, I feel that the very thing which represents suffering, wearing a mask, means I stand with those in grief and invite others to remember with me.

At Holy Wisdom Monastery, on St. Patrick’s Day, there will be flowers, the names of the honored ones who lost their lives in Atlanta, and those recently murdered. Please make space in your hearts to hold the Asian American community.

* The definition of racial trauma or race-based traumatic stress:
“….real or perceived experience of racial discrimination that includes threats of harm or injury, humiliating and shaming events, and witnessing harm of other People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) individuals.” Source: Comas-Diaz, L., Hall, G.N., Neville, H.A. (2019). Racial trauma: theory, research, and healing:   Introduction to the special issue. American Psychologist, 74 (1), 1-5.

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Benedictine Sisters at Holy Wisdom Monastery Celebrate Community and Breaking Barriers

Middleton, WI September 21, 2021 — A small community of Benedictine Sisters at Holy Wisdom Monastery celebrates a combined 151 years of religious life this weekend, Sept. 24-26, 2021, at their Celebration of Community. In addition, they welcome a new Sister into their community on Sunday, as Novice Everline Jeruto makes her first monastic profession.

The Sisters at Holy Wisdom live together in community and follow the Gospel and the Rule of Benedict. For 68 years they have lived out their mission of weaving prayer, hospitality, justice and care for the earth into a shared way of life in Middleton, Wisconsin. These pioneering women created the first ecumenical Benedictine community in North America in 2006 with both Catholic and Protestant members. In 2010, they received the highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certification for their new construction monastery building. This project earned 63 out of a possible 69 points, making it the “greenest” building in the country at the time. They manage 190 acres of restored prairie, oak savanna and wetlands at Holy Wisdom Monastery and the adjacent North Mendota Wildlife Area that aid in protecting Lake Mendota and the Yahara Watershed from phosphorous run-off.

The importance of community led to the formation of additional communities at the monastery, including Sunday Assembly their worshipping community open to all; the Oblates of Holy Wisdom Monastery, a community of lay people who learn about Benedictine spirituality and live it out in their lives away from the monastery; the Friends of Wisdom Prairie, an environmental support community; and the Ecumenical Center for Clergy Spiritual Renewal, renewal for early and mid-career clergy in Benedictine spirituality and community. The Celebration of Community honors all the communities of the monastery.

Milestones in Community

Sister Joanne Kollasch, celebrates her 91^st birthday this weekend and the 67^th anniversary of her monastic profession. Sister Mary David Walgenbach, prioress of the community, celebrates her 60^th anniversary, Sister Lynne Smith celebrates her 21^st anniversary, Sister Denise West celebrates her 3^rd anniversary and Novice Everline Jeruto becomes a Sister in the community.

As Sister Mary David Walgenbach prepares to celebrate 60 years of monastic profession, she reflects on her journey with the community, “Together we have embraced change by listening to others from diverse backgrounds and seeking advice from women and men who knew us well.  Listening and conversing within our Benedictine structure led us to choose to become an ecumenical Benedictine community. In implementing this decision our sisters experienced ‘living on the edge’ with some in our families, friends and churches. ‘Living on the edge’ meant each of us had to deepen our trust in one another and to let go of our ‘false gods’ of security, certainty and a variety of fears.”

We wish to congratulate the Sisters and all who form community at Holy Wisdom Monastery.

Holy Wisdom Monastery is a retreat and meeting center and Benedictine monastery in Middleton, WI and is open to all. The monastery, established in 1953, is located on 130 acres of restored prairie and woodland overlooking Lake Mendota. Holy Wisdom Monastery also offers environmental education and spirituality experiences throughout the year, prairie restoration volunteer opportunities, and Christian church services every Sunday. More information on Holy Wisdom Monastery is available on their website at HolyWisdomMonastery.org or by calling 608-836-1631.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Carolyn McGinley
Director of Communications
Holy Wisdom Monastery
4200 County Road Middleton, WI 53562
Phone: 608-836-1631 x119; 608-209-2167
cmcginley@holywisdommonastery.org
HolyWisdomMonastery.org

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In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Wilkin Gibart, a member of Sunday Assembly, to explore her experience as a Benedictine Sojourner – living among the sisters and working with them for half a year!

Journey with us as Sarah shares how she learned of the Benedictine Sojourner experience, what she gained, and how it helped her grow as she stepped into the next phase of her life.

If you’re interested in learning more about the sisters’ community and upcoming experiences, consider Summer Stewards, a meaningful 7-day immersive experience growing in God, self and community with the sisters here at Holy Wisdom Monastery.

Where to Listen?

You can listen to The Holy Wisdom Podcast at any of these online locations:

Our Blog, under the “Podcast” Category

Anchor.fm

Apple Podcasts

Breaker

Google Podcasts

Spotify

RadioPublic

PocketCasts

The post Living at a Monastery, ft. former Sojourner Sarah Wilkin Gibart appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.

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In this continuation of Ep. 1, Becoming Ecumenical: Bringing Christians Together, we sit down once more with Sister Mary David Walgenbach and Sister Joanne Kollasch. Starting in 1966, the sisters take us along the hurdles and fundamental moments of growth into an ecumenical community throughout the 60’s, 70’s, and Vatican II.

From welcoming retreat groups for many different Christian denominations to hosting the Dalai Lama, the sisters have embraced the hospitality of St. Benedict, calling it “the everyday path to God that St. Benedict asks of people coming to the monastery.”

Where to Listen?

You can listen to The Holy Wisdom Podcast at any of these online locations:

Our Blog, under the “Podcast” Category

Anchor.fm

Apple Podcasts

Breaker

Google Podcasts

Spotify

RadioPublic

PocketCasts

The post ‘Becoming Ecumenical: The New Spirit of Vatican II,’ The Holy Wisdom Podcast appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.