Will this experience change me?

Denise West, OSBFar from home, Living in Community 12 Comments

I brought many questions with me as I left New York to begin my 6-month stay as a Benedictine Sojourner. The main one: “Will this experience change me?” I desperately wanted to change, to grow and to live more fully. Many things are different about life here. I no longer live alone, a chef cooks delicious gourmet meals twice a day, and I spend a good portion of my time on manual labor like working in the garden and washing dishes after dinner. However, none of this felt completely unfamiliar. But one practice of the Benedictines that I had absolutely …

Sign reading "St John's welcomes you"

Orientation, disorientation, new orientation

Holy Wisdom MonasteryLetters home, Living in Community 11 Comments

The beauty of the fall colors are just beginning to blaze along Lake Sagatagan.  Every day as I walk to class, I marvel over the progression of yellow, orange and red in the trees.  It’s been about a month since I arrived at Saint John’s University School of Theology and Seminary in Collegeville, MN to begin a Masters in Theology with a concentration in Scripture.  In the midst of my classes, I flew back to Holy Wisdom Monastery to make the biggest commitment of my life: first monastic profession.  On September 20, 2015, surrounded by friends and family and the …

Becoming a sister - Sisters Joanne, Rosy, Mary David and Lynne and larger community at Rosy's first monastic profession

It takes a village to raise a vocation to monastic life

Mary David Walgenbach, OSBHomilies, Living in Community, Monastic Life Leave a Comment

Homily for the First Monastic Profession of Rosy Kandathil September 20, 2015 Texts: Sirach 51:12-20 Acts 4: 32-37 Mark 9:30-37 Stories can move people to live differently. Stories do this because our own experiences easily resonate with them. Our reflections on Scripture stories are an investment of time and energy in coming to know who we are, where we are going and who we are going with. This is part of the discovery process that Thomas Merton speaks of: finding yourself within God’s conception of yourself. Rosy chose today’s readings as an expression of her coming to know God in …

Sisters walking together in the prairie

Transitions – endings, beginnings and time in the wilderness

Lynne Smith, OSBBuilding Community, Living in Community 2 Comments

Transitions – growing in community The sisters’ community is looking forward to Rosy Kandathil’s first monastic profession on September 20, 2015 with joy! Rosy’s transition from retreatant to Benedictine Sojourner to novice and now to sister has brought the four of us closer in shared values, Benedictine practices and love. Our shared experiences over the past two years have brought growth and deeper commitment to this way of life for all four of us.One of the promises Rosy will make at her first monastic profession is fidelity to the monastic way of life. In the Rule of Benedict this is often …

Why aren’t you coming with us?

Holy Wisdom MonasteryBenedictine Bridge, Living in Community Leave a Comment

“Why do we have to go? Why aren’t you coming with us?” My 7-year old nephew Jayden asked, suddenly stricken.Looking at me, my sister responded gently, “Because your aunt lives here now.” “But can we come back?” Kneeling down so that I could see my nephew’s face, I tried to explain: “You can come back any time you like. You will always be welcome here. I’ll be waiting for you, along with the sisters. You remember Sister Lynne, Joanne, Mary David? They’re your aunties now too.” We hugged each other goodbye, and my sister climbed into the car with her …

My experience exploring Benedictine Sojourners

Denise West, OSBBenedictine Bridge, Far from home, Living in Community 1 Comment

What might you experience in the process of exploring our Benedictine Sojourner program? Denise, who will become a Benedictine Sojourner this fall, reflects on her journey: Originally I was just looking for a one- or two-month stay at a monastery over the summer. Instead, I found the Benedictine Sojourner program at Holy Wisdom and knew instantly that I wanted to find out more. I sensed from the website that this was a vibrant community—alive with a spirit I longed to feel. Over the Exploring Benedictine Community Retreat weekend I was of course a little anxious. But I felt very at ease when we sat …

Sharing rich experiences in Chicago

Lynne Smith, OSBBenedictine Bridge, Living in Community, Monastic Life 1 Comment

“Are you going to share with us what you learned in Chicago?” I’ve been hearing this often since returning from attending the Institute of Religious Formation at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. It’s hard to sum up nine months of learnings! Much of what I learned I’ll be using and sharing as I go about my work at the monastery. The following provides some highlights of my experience. Religious formation addresses the intellectual, psychological, emotional, spiritual and relational development of women and men as they enter life in a religious community. Living in a religious community requires self-knowledge and inter-personal …

What happens when women come to explore?

Holy Wisdom MonasteryBenedictine Bridge, Living in Community, Monastic Life Leave a Comment

What happens when five women—unknown to each other and to the monastery—spend less than 48 hours together with the community during an Exploring Benedictine Sojourners Retreat? New doors open…new insights are gained…new friendships develop…new paths unfold. We are grateful to Denise, Jill, Linda, Liz and Paz who took the risk to come for a weekend to learn more about our Benedictine Sojourner program. These women were open, sincere, faithful and filled with a variety of gifts, interests and backgrounds. We shared our story and they shared their stories. As one woman put it, “Telling my story was a way of …

Rosy holding poster - Myth - All nuns are Cathollic

Myth #12 – All nuns are Catholic

Holy Wisdom MonasteryHomepage, Living in Community, Myth busting

Not at Holy Wisdom Monastery. Our Benedictine community welcomes single women of any Christian tradition. Here, you can become a Benedictine sister and share the richness of your religious background. We are an ecumenical monastic community, seeking God through a life following the Gospel and the Rule of Benedict. We live, pray and work together and welcome other single Christian women to explore life with us. We honor diversity among our members and in the communities we help create: the sisters’ community (Benedictine Women of Madison), Benedictine Sojourners, Oblates of Holy Wisdom Monastery, coworkers, volunteers and our Sunday worshipping community …

candle light and plain, bare Christmas tree await Christmas Eve services in the assembly room

Christmas in community

Holy Wisdom MonasteryLiving in Community Leave a Comment

Reflections by Joanne Kollasch and Lynne Smith, co-directors of formation  The Christmas Eve liturgy is a highlight of the season for our community. Soft candle light flickers around the assembly room. We sit in muted silence before the service begins. This is a time for quiet meditation, time to take in the Christmas tree and crèche scene surrounded by poinsettias. Our Advent liturgies dwell on the theme of anticipation of Christ’s coming rather than rushing to Christmas. Christmas Eve is the culmination of our anticipation, ushered in by the cherished music of Christmas. This is the beginning of the celebration …