By Fr. George Kilcourse From Friday, July 9, through Sunday, July 11, the American Association of Interchurch Families (AAIF) will convene for its biennial national conference at Holy Wisdom Monastery near Madison, Wisconsin. AAIF, now in its third decade, undertakes ecumenical advocacy and support roles on behalf of the growing number of interchurch marriages and families around the United States. In some areas, marriages between Catholics, Protestants, and Eastern Orthodox Christians are not only no longer rare, they are proving to be the new majority. Interchurch families and their pastoral advisers define an interchurch marriage as one in which: (1) two baptized …
“As soon as you drive up that drive, the rest of the world disappears”
Rev. Jenny Gleichauf, ordained in the Presbyterian Church USA and pastor at Winnetka Congregational Church in Winnetka, Illinois, first discovered Holy Wisdom Monastery when she was a seminary student at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. Our own Lynne Smith, OSB, attended McCormick, and the community has fostered a relationship with the seminary for years. Jenny came here for a silent retreat, and always looks forward to her return visits. “As soon as you drive up that drive, the rest of the world disappears,” she says about the turn off County Highway M and onto the 130 acres of prairie land at the Monastery. “The …
Renew Yourself on Retreat at Holy Wisdom Monastery?
Consider taking a day or two or even three to experience the quiet, prayerful, spacious ambiance of a retreat in the Retreat and Guest House of Holy Wisdom Monastery. The whirling, swirling, flying snow of these winter days reminds me of the whirling, swirling, busy lives so many of us try to live. A terrific snowstorm in early December forced me to stay home, without a plan. What a gift that day turned out to be! Renewal and rejuvenation from solitude, silence and the beauty of creation brought peace and healing in the days that followed. We can’t count on …