I recently attended a lecture by Emmanuel Katongole, Associate Professor of Theology and Peace Studies at Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame University. As he did his doctoral work on the genocide in Rwanda, one of the questions that bothered Fr. Katongole was: Did Christianity make any difference in the genocide? Fr. Katongole told a story of the students in the Catholic high school seminary at Buta, Burundi. On April 30, 1997, during the genocide in Burundi, some armed men entered the seminary in Buta in the early morning hours. The men took all the students out …
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 …
Myth #233 – All nuns have beautiful voices
Not necessarily. Music is vital to our prayer and worship. We sing every day, we surround ourselves in music because it is a language of the soul, but we don’t all have perfect voices. Rather, we support and sing with and for each other, knowing that God loves the music in our hearts. Does your heart long for something more? Come work and pray with us for 6 months as a Benedictine Sojourner. Learn more at an Experience Benedictine Life at the Monastery retreat. Contact Lynne at lwsmith@benedictinewomen.org or 608-831-9305. _________________________ Follow the series: Living in Community – Myth busting. What …
Myth #35 – Making a commitment to live in community is scary
“Why would anyone want to live in a monastery?” Years ago after I had first visited Holy Wisdom Monastery, someone in a book study group where we were reading The Cloister Walk, by Kathleen Norris, said, “I don’t know why anyone would want to live in a monastery!” Needless to say, I didn’t share the fact that I was considering the possibility of living in a monastery. I had a hard time articulating my desire at that time other than to say that I was drawn to the values I saw lived in the monastery. Seventeen years later, I can …
Myth #391 – Living in a monastery limits who I can be
In the monastery we become part of one another’s lives, we support and challenge each other to become most fully and freely who God created us to be. Ours is a community of women seeking a deeper awareness of God’s presence in our lives. Living in community is about living life together. In community, everyone works hand in hand, sharing meals, prayer, work and conversation. While Benedictine spirituality is communal, it recognizes the uniqueness of the individual. The monastic value of respect for the person is an essential element of community life. Each member holds a privileged and equal place. …
Myth #468 – Living in a monastery is an escape from the world
In the monastery we practice living open-heartedly and serving others to make a difference in the world around us. Holy Wisdom Monastery welcomes people into sacred space and our community of communities to pray, study and nourish one another. Compelled by the Gospel and rooted in the Benedictine tradition, we support personal and community growth as we live out our mission and values in a changing world. Can you imagine yourself in this picture? Experience our life in community. Learn more at an Experience Benedictine Life at the Monastery retreat. Come live, work and pray with us for 6-9 months …
Myth #272 – Living in a monastery means being holy all the time
Only if being holy means becoming extraordinarily human. When an old monk was asked what he did all day long in the monastery, he said, “We fall and get up. We fall and get up.” Life can make us holy when we live it prayerfully, attentively and humbly in communion with others. Are you a single, Christian women, 21-50, interested in an extraordinarily human experience of living in community? Learn more at an Experience Benedictine Life at the Monastery retreat. Come live, work and pray with us for 6 months as a Benedictine Sojourner. Contact us at membership@benedictinewomen.org or 608-831-9305 …
Myth #263 – Smart women don’t live in monasteries
Come and see for yourself. At Holy Wisdom Monastery, we are smart and persistent. We changed the rules about monastic living when we became the first Benedictine community in the US to welcome single women of any Christian tradition. We have built a “green” monastery where we meet most of our energy needs through solar power and geothermal heating and cooling. We are restoring native prairie lands, saving needed green space and protecting our local lakes. We balance our work with prayer. We know how to make change and we know how to weave prayer, hospitality, justice and care for …
Richness in Diversity
We are quite an international group of students! Pictured left to right on a first outing in Chicago: Father Ronaldo from Brazil, last served in the Philippines; Father Jim from Ireland; Sister Judith from Oshkosh, WI, a Sister of the Sorrowful Mother; Sister Lucy from Ireland; Brother Ronald from the US; Sister Lynne; Brother Patrick from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Sister Louise, a Benedictine from Ferdinand, IN; Father Godwin from Nigeria, serving in the US; and Father Harnoko from Indonesia, serving in Japan. (Fathers Harnoko and Ronaldo are from the same community which sends members out in mission.)Additional …
Living in Community – A Sister's Time Away for Education
This week we sent Sister Lynne Smith off to school for the academic year at Catholic Theological Union. She went with the blessings and prayers of the community and a survival gift basket from coworkers…complete with plenty of pencils, a package of Ramen noodles and some healthy snacks! The presentation, pictured here, was made at our annual staff picnic by Jill Carlson (left), director of guest services, to Sister Lynne Smith (right). Beginning today Sister Lynne will share occasional insights into her experience in a new blog series, Living in Community – Notes on a Sister’s Time Away for Education: …