Wisdom Prairie Project Continues to Build Momentum

Mike Sweitzer-BeckmanBenedictine Bridge, Care for the Earth, Main, Wisdom Prairie Project Leave a Comment

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 …

Update on Wisdom Prairie Project

Mike Sweitzer-BeckmanBenedictine Bridge, Care for the Earth, Main Leave a Comment

Prairie land and oak savannas greatly reduce phosphorous runoff into our lakes, as compared to agricultural land. The newly acquired land (above) is currently planted with corn. It’s seemingly a quiet time of the year on the prairie. The phone call and email inquiries about the parcel the sisters purchased in September 2012 have gone the way of the birds for the winter. However, the Wisdom Prairie Project fundraising efforts continue, despite the long winter months. As of this issue of Benedictine Bridge, we have raised over $1.5 million on our way to the $1.9 million goal to help cover both the acquisition and restoration costs of …

Support the Monastery in 2014—Upcoming Events

Mike Sweitzer-BeckmanBenedictine Bridge, Main Leave a Comment

Members of Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society will return to Holy Wisdom Monastery in June 2014 for the Prairie Rhapsody benefit concert. Photo by Kent Sweitzer. The Benedictine Life Foundation is pleased to offer the following events in 2014: Sunday, March 16, 2014: Sister Simone Campbell returns to Holy Wisdom Monastery to deliver the homily during Sunday Assembly and a short presentation following worship. Friday, May 2, 2014: Whisper art exhibit opening reception Join us for an evening of poetry and photography, paired with food and community at the monastery as part of Gallery Night with the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. The poetry and photography will be …

In Gratitude to All Our Supporters

Mike Sweitzer-BeckmanBenedictine Bridge, Main Leave a Comment

This is the best time of year for someone in my role, director of development. The end of the year signifies an outpouring of support from donors. It’s the time of year when a lot of correspondence and updates from old and new friends alike arrive in our inboxes and mailboxes. It’s also a time to quantify some of the impact that the mission and ministries at Holy Wisdom Monastery had on the lives of our supporters. We are in an important two-month stretch for fundraising to support the work at the monastery. In November and December 2012, we saw nearly one-third …

Holy Wisdom Monastery continues support of Vera Court Neighborhood Center

Mike Sweitzer-BeckmanJustice, Main Leave a Comment

The Sunday Assembly community at Holy Wisdom Monastery has been collecting and bundling donations for the Vera Court Neighborhood Center since 2007. This is an important aspect of living out the justice portion of the sisters’ mission, supporting a neighborhood community center on Madison’s north side. Patrick Schrank, the fund and program development director at VCNC writes: “Holy Wisdom Sunday Assembly Members: Thank you again for your continued support of Vera Court Neighborhood Center. This summer we have been able to serve more than 85 children and teens in our summer camps. Thank you for your contributions which make our work …

2012 Annual Report

Mike Sweitzer-BeckmanBenedictine Bridge, Main Leave a Comment

The Benedictine Life Foundation of Wisconsin, Inc. is pleased to unveil its 2012 annual report. It is always a humbling experience to see all the names of supporters in one place. There are a lot of people spread out over the country who believe in and support the sisters’ vision at Holy Wisdom Monastery through gifts of time, talent and treasure. It takes a village to support all the ministries taking place here. It’s also touching to highlight our long-term supporters—members of Benedict Society (those who have made planned gifts, such as bequests in a will, to support the sisters) and Scholastica …

Chamber Music with a Bang: Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society to Perform at Prairie Rhapsody Benefit Concert

Mike Sweitzer-BeckmanBenedictine Bridge, Main Leave a Comment

Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society co-producers Jeffrey Sykes and Stephanie Jutt bring their “chamber music with a bang” to Holy Wisdom Monastery on June 13, 2013 for the annual Prairie Rhapsody benefit concert. Photo by C&N Photographers.   We are pleased to announce that Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society  (BDDS) will bring their act to Holy Wisdom Monastery on Thursday, June 13, 2013 for the annual Prairie Rhapsody benefit concert. We are excited to see this come to fruition after being in conversation with BDDS about the possibilities since 2011! BDDS performs throughout the Madison area in June of each year, bringing their “chamber music with …

Holy Wisdom Monastery supports ARTICULTURE exhibit on Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Mike Sweitzer-BeckmanCare for the Earth, Main Leave a Comment

Holy Wisdom Monastery is pleased to support the ARTICULTURE, an art exhibit reception hosted by Forward Community Investments that will celebrate local artists and chefs while highlighting sustainable agriculture. Monastery chef Barbara Wright will provide a dish of colorful vegetables from our monastery gardens, complemented by feta yogurt dipping sauce. You are invited to attend this exhibit! It will be at the offices of Forward Community Investments, located at 2045 Atwood Avenue in Madison, on Wednesday, April 17 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Donor Profiles: Millennial Giving at Holy Wisdom Monastery

Mike Sweitzer-BeckmanBenedictine Bridge, Main Leave a Comment

One of the true joys of my job is being able to connect with our supporters who share a passion for the sisters’ mission and ministries. I have the privilege of many impromptu conversations and correspondence with some passionate people who are drawn to the works of the monastery. It’s always wonderful to hear about their life experiences, especially some of the folks who have been involved at the monastery since the 1950s when the sisters first settled here. Our donor records go back to 1970 and some of these original donors are still monthly donors today. There is strength in …

Dinner Theater Comes to Holy Wisdom Monastery

Mike Sweitzer-BeckmanBenedictine Bridge, Main Leave a Comment

I’m pleased to announce a new event this year — Dinner with the Other Disciples — a fundraiser to benefit the sisters’ ministries at Holy Wisdom Monastery. The event came together near the end of last year. One of our fans and supporters, Mary Zaborski, brought a group of women from all over Wisconsin here on retreat for several days. The sisters enjoyed their camaraderie that week at meals and during prayer. The group had several artistic talents they wanted to share with the monastery. One of the gifts comes from Geri Luer, who is directing Dinner with the Other Disciples. She is …