Eco-Contemplative Creative Writing Retreat
2025-08-17 08:30 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Three Creative Writing Workshops in One Day
Join three talented workshop facilitators who will guide you through contemplative and nature-based creative writing practices to inspire and generate your writing. No experience necessary, join us for a nourishing and creative day. Lunch is prepared by our chef, a simple yet nourishing meal from our gardens and local farmers. An optional guided prairie tour is included.
Schedule
8:30 – 9:00 am – Arrival and Coffee
9:00 – 9:30 am – Opening Circle and Intentions
9:30 – 11:00 am – Writing and Wellness with the Land – Megan Sharpless
11:00 – 11:45 am – Prairie Tour (optional)
12:00 – 1:00 pm – Lunch
1:00 – 2:30 pm – Listening to Land, Listening to Self – Rebecca Jamieson
2:30 – 3:00 pm – Coffee Break
3:00 – 4:30 pm –Observational Writing & Sensory Storytelling – Léna Remy-Kovach
4:30 – 4:45 pm – Closing Circle & Gratitude
Workshop Leaders – Megan Sharpless, Rebecca Jamieson, Léna Remy-Kovach
Megan Sharpless, creative writer, anthropologist, lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her family. She offers Writing & Wellness workshops and Creative Spark hikes in nature. She loves bringing people together in nature to inspire joy, creativity, and partnership. Her current writing projects include a suspense novel and a guide to meditation practices. Learn more at SharpLit.com.

Rebecca Jamieson is the author of The Body of All Things (Finishing Line Press, 2017). Her writing has appeared in Entropy, Mid-American Review, The Offing, Rattle, and other publications. She is a 2025 Madison Writers Award recipient, a Tupelo Press Prose Prize winner, and a Pushcart Prize nominee. Her work has been supported by fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, the Fishtrap Writers’ Conference, and the Spring Creek Project. Locally she writes for the Isthmus.
Rebecca holds an MFA in Writing and Publishing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is also the founder of Contemplate Create, where she teaches creative writing through a mindfulness-based lens. She lives on Ho-Chunk land in Madison, Wisconsin. When she’s not writing, you can find her hiking, baking, or cuddling her two cats. Learn more at www.contemplatecreate.com and @rebeccabjamieson on Instagram.
Léna Remy-Kovach (she/her) is a polyglot writer, educator, and translator whose creative practice bridges languages, landscapes, and bodies. With a background in literary translation and a focus on decolonial approaches to Indigenous stories, she invites participants to explore the textures and rhythms of language through movement, memory, and sensory attention. Her workshops create space for slow writing, deep listening, and joyful experimentation
Cost
$85/person, includes snacks, lunch and program
Register
Please register by August 10, 2025. The capacity of the program is 30 people and registration will close when full.
Cancellation policy: If you need to cancel your registration, 75% of the cost is refundable before the August 10, 2025 registration deadline, and 50% of the cost is refundable after the registration deadline until the start of the program.

Conversations About Our Benedictine Life: Humility
2025-08-17 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-09-14 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-09-16 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-10-08 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-10-23 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-11-16 10:30 - 11:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Deepen your understanding of Benedictine spirituality by joining us for one or more of the Conversations About Our Benedictine Spirituality: Humility sessions. These gatherings offer time for reflections, for the reading of short pieces on humility from the Rule of Benedict and other authors, an exploration of how Benedictine humility differs from our every day understandings of it, and conversations about the gifts and challenges of living this Benedictine value in our lives.
These sessions are open to any adult who relates to any of the Holy Wisdom Monastery communities.

Flower Identification Walk
2025-08-21 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-09-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Practice your wildflower ID skills! Friends of Wisdom Prairie volunteers Sylvia Marek and Julie Melton are offering a new series of guided hikes through the summer prairie focused on identifying what’s in bloom. You can expect a leisurely walk, approximately one hour long, on grassy trails.
These informal tours will be offered monthly on the third Thursday of the month for the remainder of the growing season. No registration necessary. Meet at the kiosk at the top of the monastery building parking lot (stay to the right at the fork in the driveway).
If you’d like to receive reminders about these monthly plant walks, please email Amy aalstad@holywisdommonastery.org.

Walk Into Wonder: Shinrin-Yoku for the Weary
2025-08-23 10:00 - 11:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Want to have nothing to do?
Join us for rest, beauty and community as we stroll on the trails of the beautifully restored Holy Wisdom prairie and woodlands. This fully guided walk is led by trained forest therapist, Valerie Vervoort. The guided walk will include intermittent invitations for optional activities such as deep breathing and using your senses. Purposefully slow and meditative. We will walk a mile or a mile and a half through moderate trails.
Forest therapy has been proven to lower blood pressure, increase natural killer immune cell activity and restore a sense of well-being.
Schedule

Walk starts and ends at the Retreat & Guest House parking lot.
There will be several stops, including a time for tea and reflection.
The trail has been chosen for its gentle grades and maximum distance of a mile to a mile and a half.
Orientation to shinrin-yoku and what to expect on the walk at the kiosk will be followed by invitations for meditation and relaxation that are easy for everyone and always optional.
Ends with a tea ceremony to build community.

Leader – Valerie Vervoort
Valerie Vervoort grew up exploring the woods and Mississippi River on her family farm in Northern Minnesota. She earned a master’s degree in education and taught in daycares for many years where she was known for gardening and encouraging kids to explore the outdoors. After retirement she volunteered as the ‘Garden Grandma’ at Fox Prairie Elementary School’s gardens. In 2020, she became an Oblate at Holy Wisdom Monastery, volunteered for prairie workdays and as a trail monitor. In 2024 her interest in the land as a healer lead to getting certified as a Forest Therapy Guide in May of that year. She has since lead Forest Therapy walks for Oblates, Sunday Assembly members and a visiting college choir.
Who can attend this event?
For those 16 years and older. Anyone who is willing to go slow and be quiet. A place for people who are too tired to do anything. People who want to belong.
Cost
$35/person
Register
Please register by Aug. 23, 2025. This offering is limited to 15 people and registration will close when full. There is no refund if you need to cancel your registration.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
2025-08-26 18:00 - 20:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: An 8-week Mindfulness Course – Fall 2025
Mindfulness can be a powerful tool to identify your physical, mental and emotional habits and needs. Becoming more familiar with your own mind and its patterns can help you relate more directly to whatever is happening in your life – including difficulty and pain – and discover greater balance and ease. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was created in 1979 and has been widely taught and scientifically studied around the world; research has shown positive improvements in physical and psychological symptoms.
Good news: You don’t need to “clear your mind.” You don’t need special equipment. This class is experiential and focuses on real-time mindfulness practice, including sitting and movement, plus time for reflection and dialogue. Come as you are – even thoughts, emotions and pain can be avenues for discovering more wisdom and compassion. Yes, the time commitment is significant; that’s part of this “official” MBSR curriculum offering and what has made it impactful for so many people.
Schedule
All sessions are 6:00 – 8:30 pm, except for the Day of Mindfulness on October 11th, which will be 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. The orientation session will be a virtual session and the mindfulness sessions and Day of Mindfulness take place at Holy Wisdom Monastery. If you would like to enjoy dinner at the monastery before one or more of the in-person sessions, there is an additional cost and must be reserved in advance.

Tuesday, Aug 26 – Virtual Orientation Session
Tuesday, Sept 2 – Session 1 (RGH 10)
Tuesday, Sept 9 – Session 2 (RGH 10)
Tuesday, Sept 16 – Session 3 (RGH 10)
Tuesday, Sept 23 – Session 4 (RGH 10)
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Session 5 (RGH 10)
Tuesday, Oct 7 – Session 6 (RGH 10)
Saturday, Oct 11 – Day of Mindfulness (RGH 10) – 9:00 am-3:00 pm
Tuesday, Oct 14 – Session 7 (RGH 222)
Tuesday, Oct 21 – Session 8 (RGH 10)

Instructor – Dan Tyler
Dan Tyler has completed UW Health’s MBSR Teacher Training Intensive and UCSD’s MBSR Teacher Training Practicum. Dan leads twice-weekly mindfulness sessions for his colleagues at work. Since 2007 he has studied and practiced yoga and meditation, including periods of silent retreat.
Cost
The cost of the 8-week mindfulness course includes all sessions and lunch on Sat., Oct. 11. You are welcome to join us for dinner before the mindfulness sessions for an additional fee.*
We are offering a 10% discount for those working in care professions (use promo code CareforOthers on the online registration form if you work in a care profession).
Examples: nurses, care-takers, pastors, teachers, mental health professionals, etc.
Contact hwm@holywisdommonastery.org with questions.

$385/person, includes all sessions and lunch on Sat., Oct. 11
$346.50/person in a care profession. Use code CareforOthers on online registration form
$22/person/dinner/session (optional)

*You are welcome to join us for dinner before one or more of the in-person mindfulness sessions for an additional fee. Please contact Brooke Livingston, blivingston@holywisdommonastery.org or Malee Thor, mthor@holywisdommonastery.org to reserve your dinner(s) 48 hours in advance.
Register
Please register by Aug. 19, 2025. Class size is limited to 12 and registration will close when full.
Cancellation policy: If you register but need to cancel your registration, you can receive a 75% refund up until Aug. 19, 2025. After that, a 50% refund is available until the class starts on Aug. 26, 2025.

Embracing the Mystery: The Soul of Aging Retreat
2025-09-04 16:00 - 2025-09-06 13:00 | Zoom, Connect to the program with computer or phone., WI
“I don’t want to fight the gravity of aging. It’s nature’s way. I want to collaborate with it as best I can,
in hopes of going down with something like the grace of that setting sun.” ~Parker Palmer

An Opportunity for Reflection, Renewal & Gracious Harvesting
Sep. 4-6, 2025
An Online Circle of Trust® Retreat
Embracing the Mystery is a retreat inspired by Parker Palmer’s book, On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old (2018). Parker writes, “There’s no antidote for the gravity that takes us to the grave. But there is a countervailing force called ‘levity.’” Together, we wish to explore the mystery of our many-layered life. How might we embrace the joys, challenges and gifts of aging; to surrender to, and be transformed by the aging process? This is a time to come together to listen, share and hold space for each other as we deepen our connection to ourselves; honoring the known and embracing the unknown.
A Circle of Trust® Retreat offers:

a space to renew the heart, mind and spirit through the exploration of the inner landscape of one’s life

time to reconnect to one’s identity and integrity and renew our courage to live from a place of wholeness

a process to strengthen one’s self-awareness

a trustworthy space for inner work in community

an opportunity to practice deep listening and respectful speaking – strengthening one’s life beyond the retreat

Dates/Times
All times reflect Central Daylight Time (CDT)

Introductory Session: Tues., Sep. 2, 4:00-5:30 pm
Online Retreat:

Thurs., Sep. 4, 4:00-6:00 pm
Fri., Sep. 5, 10:00 am-1:00 pm; 4:00-6:00 pm
Sat., Sep. 6, 10:00 am-1:00 pm

The retreat begins Thursday afternoon with check-in available at 3:45 pm and the initial gathering at 4:00 pm.
Location
Online, via Zoom. Although online, it’s important that you prepare for being in retreat. Create a sacred space where you are able to be as present as possible. Dress comfortably. Have a journal close by to hold your reflections from our time together.
Cost
$170/person
Facilitators – Kirstin Anglea and Winton Boyd
Kirstin Anglea is a mother, daughter, spouse and learner. With an early awareness that life is terminal, she seeks to embrace the beauty and messiness of life and help others do the same. She has been a facilitator with The Center for Courage & Renewal since 2014 and leads Courage & Renewal retreats, locally and internationally. She is trained in the Soul of Aging program. In addition, she serves as the Mentor Program Coordinator with the Center for Courage & Renewal. She is a member of the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee and Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon in Bend, OR. She and her partner live in Sisters, OR near her father and daughter. When not working, you can find Kirstin playing in the kitchen, singing, traveling, exploring the outdoors or losing to her dad in cribbage. 🙂

Winton Boyd is a spouse, father, grandfather and one who seeks to hold space for reflection and relationship for people of all ages. He has been a facilitator for the Center for Courage & Renewal since 2007. He is trained in the Soul of Aging program and together with Kirstin, has led 10 retreats on this topic since 2020 (mostly online). He is also the Flourishing in Ministry Program Coordinator for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery. From 1999-2019 he served as the Senior Pastor of Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ in Madison, WI. He also co-facilitates the Contemplative Clergy Immersions for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery. Before moving to Minneapolis, he and his wife were members of the Sunday Assembly at Holy Wisdom. They have three grown children and two grandchildren. He enjoys outdoor activities, travel, reading and baking bread, among other things.
Questions
If you have questions about the retreat or the online platform Zoom, please contact either Kirstin or Winton:

Kirstin Anglea (kirstin@nourishcourage.com)
Winton Boyd (boydwinton@gmail.com)

Register
Please register by Aug. 28, 2025. The maximum number of participants is 23 and registration will close when full.
This event is full; if you’d like to be put on a waiting list, please contact Signe Lee at slee@holywisdommonastery.org.
Cancellation policy – if you register but must cancel your registration, you can receive a 75% refund up until Aug. 28, 2025. After that, a 50% refund is available until the retreat starts.

Kids on the Prairie
2025-09-14 10:30 - 12:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Explore nature’s beauty and surprises!
Kids on the Prairie (KOTP) is for children and their adult family members. Experienced volunteer educators and guides will facilitate a short hike to learn about nature and explore the grounds and trails. This free event is open to members of Holy Wisdom communities and the general public.
September 14 – Apple Picking, Cider Tasting and Seed Collection
Taste the goodness of organically grown Monastery apples. Learn about seeds and collect prairie seeds to renew the prairie. Each family will get some seeds to take home.

I Choose Peace – Sound Healing & Guided Meditation
2025-09-20 10:00 - 11:45 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Discover a transformative journey with I Choose Peace – Sound Healing & Guided Meditation. This uniquely enchanting guided meditative experience invites you to explore the depths of world peace through soothing poetry, the calming resonance of sound bowl healing, affirmations of peace and love and reflective journaling. It’s more than just meditation; it’s a pathway to self-love and a deeper connection with your heart and the Earth.
Whether you’re a seasoned meditator or completely new to the practice, this program offers a safe and accessible path to personal peace. We welcome all peace seekers ages 18 and above.
Be still, reconnect with yourself and contribute to a more peaceful world, one mindful moment at a time.
Embrace your path to peace and empowerment while nurturing your spirit and mind.
Join I Choose Peace to be in community with like-minded souls dedicated to making the world a better place.
We look forward to you joining us to experience the healing power of I Choose Peace and transform your life.
Please bring the following items to make the most of your meditation:

Comfortable clothing: breathable, flexible garments for various temperatures. Light layers are suggested.
Blanket, pillow, yoga mat: create a comfortable space to rest by having your own items to support your body needs.
Journal: any journal or notebook (and writing utensil) will do to capture your reflections.
Water bottle/personal beverage: hydrate!
Personal care items: natural toiletries, sunscreen and insect repellent (if meditation will be outside)
Any additional personal items you may require to comfortably sit or lay down for two hours.

Schedule
10:00-11:45 am – Sound Healing
12:00 pm – Lunch (optional)
Instructor – Takeyla Benton
Mystic on a mission, Takeyla Benton has spent 25 years unlocking her own divine potential – and now she’s here to help you do the same. With a lifetime of spiritually directed studies and personal experiences, Takeyla infuses her wisdom and passion for storytelling, holistic healing and spirit-centered self-mastery and divine love into her sacred soul work at Key Transformations. As a trusted guide, she offers transformative spiritual consultations, Goddess-guided Reiki energy and sound healing, empowering yoga and meditation coaching, notable podcasts and workshops  – empowering those “sick and tired of being sick and tired” to bravely live on purpose.

Dates/Times
Join us Sep. 20, 2025 from 10:00-11:45 am.
Cost
$35/person
Register
The registration deadline is Sep. 13, 2025, or when the registration reaches 30 people. There is no refund for cancellations, but registrations are transferable.

Center for Clergy Renewal Celebration of Ministry Dinner
2025-09-26 17:30 - 19:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
There is a lot to celebrate in the Center for Clergy Renewal (CCR) at Holy Wisdom Monastery! Over 100 pastors came to Holy Wisdom Monastery this year to be fed by the rhythm of the Monastery, the prairie, and contemplative practice. Please join us for the third annual dinner to celebrate CCR pastors who serve in ecumenical ministries around the country and help us continue to raise support for this program. We will gather on Friday, September 26 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. The evening will include dinner and impact stories from the CCR team and pastors who have participated. If you are interested in how the CCR provides pastors with fertile ground to root deeply into God’s love, grow in community and scatter seeds of hope for a flourishing world, please join us! There is no cost for the dinner, but we do require reservations so we can plan accordingly. You can register by clicking on the button below.
Schedule
5:30 pm – Welcome and Check In
6:00 pm – Opening Prayer and Dinner
6:30 pm – Presentation
7:30 pm – Closing Prayer
Register
Please register by September 19, 2025.

Midwest Memoir Art Exhibit Reception
2025-10-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Michael Knapstein is pleased to share his latest work, Midwest Memoir, with Holy Wisdom Monastery. His goal is to document and immortalize the people and places that define the American Midwest before they vanish. Michael said, “I hope the images in this series which embrace themes of memory, loss, history, heritage, rural identity and sense of place, will resonate with the viewers.” Michael has generously offered to give away one of his photos at the opening reception!

Schedule
6:00 pm – Reception begins. Light refreshments will be served by the artist
6:30 pm – Michael will share his thoughts about his latest work and answer questions
8:00 pm – Reception ends

Artist – Michael Knapstein

Photographer Michael Knapstein is counted among ‘14 Inspiring American Artists’ by Skillshare and Feature Shoot. His photographs have been featured in more than 325 exhibits in a variety of museums, galleries and festivals in 23 countries on five continents. He has received numerous awards, and his work is included in many public, private and corporate collections.

The exhibit is on display in the Monastery Gathering Area from September 23 – November 2, 2025. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (excluding holidays) and Sunday 10:00 – 11:00 am.

Registration
Please register by September 26, 2025, in order to have enough refreshments. Thank you!

Solidarity Sunday
2025-10-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Solidarity Sunday, observed every year on a Sunday in October, is a faith-based anti-violence initiative. Dignity USA initiated Solidarity Sunday in 1995 as a way of making opposition to anti-gay violence visible. Sunday Assembly members commemorate Solidarity Sunday to support and affirm the LGBTQ+ persons in our community.

Kids on the Prairie
2025-10-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Explore nature’s beauty and surprises!
Kids on the Prairie (KOTP) is for children and their adult family members. Experienced volunteer educators and guides will facilitate a short hike to learn about nature and explore the grounds and trails. This free event is open to members of Holy Wisdom communities and the general public.
October 12 – Trees, Trees, Trees
Explore woodlands and savanna. What are trees doing over the winter? Make bark and leaf rubbings. Look for places for insects and animals to shelter from winter cold and snow. Listen to the forest.
November 9 – Join Us for a Celebration of Our Year!
We’ll take a short walk near the gardens and Lost Lake listening and looking for signs of life. Afterward, wrap up the season with a slide show of 2025 Kids on the Prairie activities, games, hot chocolate and cider.

An Autumn Qigong Workshop: Releasing, Accepting, Allowing
2025-10-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
This autumn Qigong* workshop will help you align with the energies of the season. Join us as we practice simple yet powerful Qigong movements designed to cultivate our ability to allow in the blessings of our labors, accept our current situation and release grief and sadness.
Learn practices that you can perform at home to boost your immunity, calm your nervous system, and improve overall circulation. Leave feeling refreshed with calm energy for what lies ahead.
All ability levels welcome. Can be performed standing or seated in casual attire. Please come prepared to do a short portion of the workshop outdoors, weather permitting.
*Qigong (Chee-gong) is an ancient form of moving meditation that uses flowing movements, breath exercises, meditation and self-massage. As a holistic health or “whole being” practice, it addresses all of who you are: mind, body, and spirit.
Schedule

1:00 pm – Introductions and overview of workshop
1:10 pm – Short Qigong practices intertwined with journaling to cultivate awareness, including a brief time outdoors (weather permitting)
2:40 pm – Indoor meditation and closing practice
3:00 pm – Workshop ends

Instructor – Sandy Salvo

Sandy Salvo is a Senior Faculty and Teacher-Trainer for the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi, a certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher and founder of Centered-Connections.com. She enjoys sharing her love of Qigong and the mind-body-spirit benefits it can offer all who seek them.

Cost
$35/person
All proceeds go to Holy Wisdom Monastery.
Register
Register by Mon. Oct. 6, 2025, with the button below. The registration fee is non-refundable.

Wisdom Prairie Fall Tour
2025-10-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
You are welcome to join us for an outdoor tour to explore the seasonal beauty found on the monastery grounds in fall. Experienced tour guides will share the story of Caring for the Earth and help participants deepen their relationship with this land.
Meet at the kiosk in the monastery building parking lot. Tours will last 1-2 hours. We will proceed with the tour in the event of light to moderate rain but cancel for thunderstorms or other severe weather.
Cost
There is no cost to participants for this tour. Donations to Care for the Earth are always welcome.
Register
Please register with the button below so we have enough tour guides and can contact you in case we need to cancel due to weather.

Family Gathering
2025-10-18 15:00 - 18:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
This gathering has been cancelled, the next Family Gathering is Dec. 20, 2025
Calling all families with children! Children’s Ministry invites you to join our next Family Gathering, Saturday, October 18, 3:00-6:00 pm at Holy Wisdom Monastery.
Enjoy a relaxed afternoon concluding with an opportunity to share a meal. Children are invited to join Sarah Wilkin Gibart for prayer and creative work time in the spirit of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, tailored for 6–9-year-olds.
Parents, this is your time! You may choose to join in the children’s program or enjoy the monastery grounds: explore the prairie, take in the art exhibit, relax in the library, or simply have time for coffee and conversation. Childcare will also be available for the youngest ones, ages 0-5. Those children and adults who wish may join the sisters for Evening Prayer at 4:30 pm, and we will reconvene for supper at 5:15 pm.
Registration cost includes a simple entree prepared by the culinary team using fresh, seasonal offerings (families may also wish to bring a side dish or dessert to share).
Come be in community, play, rest, reflect, and get to know and support one another!
Schedule
3:00 pm – Gather
~3:30-5:15 pm – Programming/free time
5:15 pm – Dinner
6:00 pm – Adjourn

Leader
Sarah Wilkin Gibart is a teacher of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd who leads regular Children’s Prayer during Sunday Assembly worship.
Cost
$25/family.
Questions
Please contact Sarah: sjwilkin09@gmail.com or Nichole: nfromm@holywisdommonastery.org with any questions.

Register
The Family Gathering has been cancelled. The next Family Gathering will be Dec. 20, 2025.

Being Harmonized with the Unconditional Love and Wisdom of Our Buddha Nature
2025-10-19 09:30 - 2025-10-21 18:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective, our buddha nature is the basic space of our being that is undivided from vast capacities of awareness, warmth, love, compassion and wisdom. These capacities are always available below our surface consciousness but often hidden by our conditioned habits of thought and reaction. In this retreat, we will learn three modes of practice derived from Tibetan Buddhism that empower each other as they harmonize us with those innate capacities. The receptive mode generates a field of care that helps us find immediate access to unconditional qualities of love and wisdom from the depth of our awareness (our buddha nature). In the deepening mode, we let those qualities help the mind settle into their source—the non-conceptual openness, simplicity, clarity, and compassionate warmth of our buddha nature. In the inclusive mode we come from that depth of being to recognize others in their depth, and to include them in those unconditional qualities of openness and compassion. This contemplative process also empowers our ability to discern the empty, constructed nature of our experiences, freeing the mind for further access to its innate awakening capacities.
In this retreat, we will adapt this pattern of practice from Tibetan Buddhism, with some assistance from modern psychology, to make it accessible both for Buddhist practitioners and for people of all faiths who have contemplative practice experience and seek not just an intellectual dialogue with Buddhism but a deep experiential encounter with it that might freshly illumine analogous depths of their own tradition.
Sessions include guided meditations, Q&A and discussion. Prerequisites: At least two previous years of regular contemplative practice (meditation, ritual or prayer). Before the retreat, please read John’s book, Awakening through Love (Wisdom, 2007) or How Compassion Works (co-authored with Paul Condon, Shambhala, June 24, 2025), or as much of either book as possible.
Schedule

Daily session from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Daily session from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Rest breaks
Lunch at 12:30 pm
Dinner at 5:15 pm.
More details to come

Leader – John Makransky
John Makransky, PhD, has been a professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology at Boston College, Senior Academic Advisor at Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Nepal, president of the Society of Buddhist-Christian studies and Contemplative Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute. John’s scholarly writings focus on connections between devotion, compassion and wisdom in Buddhism, on adapting Buddhist practices to meet contemporary minds and on theoretical issues in interfaith learning. In 2000, John was ordained as a Lama in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism – a teacher of innate love and wisdom practices. For the past 25 years, John has taught meditations of innate compassion and wisdom adapted from Tibetan Buddhism for modern Buddhists, those in other spiritual traditions, and for people in caring roles and professions. In consultation with participants from those settings, John developed the Sustainable Compassion Training model of contemplative practice (SCT) to help Buddhists, people of diverse faiths and those in caring roles and professions generate a more sustaining and unconditional power of compassion and awareness to support their lives and work (https://sustainablecompassion.org).
Dates/Times
9:30 am, Sunday, October 19 – Dinner following afternoon session, Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Cost
This retreat uses a tiered fee system. Please pay according to your means.
Registration fees do not include payments to teacher. Please consider supporting the teacher with dāna (generosity) at the event.

$350 – Benefactor
$300 – Tier 1
$250 – Tier 2

Scholarships are available. Please contact Carole Kretschman at c.kretschman@icloud.com.
Lodging
Lodging is NOT included in the price of the retreat.

We have limited lodging at Holy Wisdom Monastery
$148.50/single (one person for 2 nights)
$170.10/double (2 people for 2 nights sharing a room)
Extra nights are available.
Please email retreats@holywisdommonastery.org to reserve your overnight room at the monastery for the retreat. Rooms will fill up.

Register
Please register by October 12, 2025.
Cancellation policy – if you register but must cancel your registration, you can receive a 75% refund up until Oct. 12, 2025. After that, a 50% refund is available until the retreat starts.

Holy Wisdom Monastery Annual Meeting
2025-10-19 10:30 - 12:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Join us on Sunday, October 19, 2025 at 10:30 am for the Holy Wisdom Monastery Annual Meeting. We invite you to attend virtually via Zoom, or in-person in the monastery dining room. Whether you are a member of one of our communities or a curious supporter, we welcome all to join us. You will hear from sisters and coworkers about Holy Wisdom’s mission, financial position, future priorities, and other projects around the monastery.
Schedule
9:00 am – Sunday Assembly Worship (all are welcome)
10:30 am – Annual Meeting
Register
There is no cost for this event. Please register by October 19, 2025.

Sacred Thresholds
2025-11-03 13:00 - 14:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Sacred Thresholds is a contemplative prayer gathering.
We are living through a unique chapter in American history when our most cherished values seem threatened, indeed, our whole way of life. Each of us, in our own way, is asking, What can I do?, and the answers, so far, seem woefully inadequate to the challenge. It is in that same spirit of humility that we are offering Sacred Thresholds as our answer to that question. Woefully inadequate, yes, small, but genuine, offered in a communal spirit, coming together to make a circle, to pray, in old ways and in new ways, to hold each other’s hearts and help one another to stay open. That is what Sacred Thresholds is all about. It’s a work in progress. Like all of us.
Please join us at 1:00 pm on the first Monday of the month in the Retreat and Guest House room 222 .
Upcoming dates

Nov. 3, 2025
Dec. 1, 2025
Jan. 5, 2026
Feb. 5, 2026
Mar. 2, 2026
Apr. 6, 2026
May 4, 2026
Jun. 1, 2026

Indigenous Art: A Local's Perspective & Friends of Wisdom Prairie Annual Meeting
2025-11-06 17:00 - 20:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Please join the Friends of Wisdom Prairie for their annual meeting, which brings people together to recognize and celebrate land stewardship at Holy Wisdom Monastery. The keynote presentation will be given by Melanie Tallmadge Sainz and is titled ‘Indigenous Art: A Local’s Perspective.’ The program also includes refreshments and dinner.
Schedule

5:00 pm – Refreshments and mingling
6:00 pm – Dinner
6:45 pm – Friends of Wisdom Prairie Annual Meeting
7:00 pm – Melanie Tallmadge Sainz presents on local Indigenous art
8:00 pm – Q&A and wrap up

Speaker – Melanie Tallmadge Sainz

Melanie is Founding Director of Little Eagle Arts Foundation (LEAF), a Native-led nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the arts and culture of Native people of the Western Great Lakes. She is an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation who grew up in the Wisconsin Dells. Melanie will share about what influences her personal art-making process as well as provide information about her foundation.

(Photo courtesy of Kevin Miyazaki)

Cost
$40/person
Registration
Please register by October 30, 2025.
There is no refund for cancellations, but registrations are transferable.

Oblate Retreat
2025-11-07 16:00 - 2025-11-09 12:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Save the date: Nov. 7-9, 2025

Kids on the Prairie
2025-11-09 10:30 - 12:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Explore nature’s beauty and surprises!
Kids on the Prairie (KOTP) is for children and their adult family members. Experienced volunteer educators and guides will facilitate a short hike to learn about nature and explore the grounds and trails. This free event is open to members of Holy Wisdom communities and the general public.
November 9 – Join Us for a Celebration of Our Year!
We’ll take a short walk near the gardens and Lost Lake listening and looking for signs of life. Afterward, wrap up the season with a slide show of 2025 KOTP activities, games, hot chocolate and cider.

Beyond the Bloom Art Exhibit Reception
2025-11-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Maron Massey’s exhibit of acrylic paintings on canvas at Holy Wisdom is a perfect fit with the mission of caring for the earth. Maron said, “my work is inspired by nature. Some of the paintings in this exhibit reflect time spent here at the monastery.” Maron wants people to be drawn in by her color palette first and then by the image. By using all the colors found in nature, she hopes her work will take people out of their daily concerns and recall what is really important.
Schedule
6:00 pm – Reception opens
6:30 pm – Maron will share her thoughts about her work and answer questions
8:00 pm – Reception concludes
Light refreshments will be provided by the artist.
Artist – Maron Massey
Maron Massey’s work can be found throughout the Madison area. She has 14 paintings in the permanent collection at Epic, the University of Wisconsin purchased three for their new eastside clinic and she recently completed 10 murals and 30 paintings for a downtown condominium association.

The exhibit is on display in the Monastery Gathering Area from November 5, 2025 – February 3, 2026. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (excluding holidays) and Sunday 10:00 – 11:00 am.
Registration
Please register by November 7, 2025, in order to have enough refreshments.

Living the Questions: A Courage & Renewal® Weekend
2025-11-14 19:00 - 2025-11-16 12:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Living the Questions: A Courage & Renewal® Weekend
Each renewal weekend will include creating a quiet, focused, and enlivened space—a Circle of Trust®— where personal, inner wisdom can be heard. There will be a mix of time spent in large group, small group, and individual reflection along with poetry, teaching stories, wisdom traditions, nature, and activities for exploration. We will use these experiences and other rich metaphors to symbolize and discover and explore life questions. Together, we will experience creating spaces in our lives to tend and nurture our desire to live fully with courage and resilience.

Revitalize your commitment to the values that give meaning to your life.
Increase your ability to listen openly and be present.
Learn reflective practices to become more intentional.
Explore questions to build and sustain community.
Expand trustworthy and authentic relationships.

The Circle of Trust® approach is based on the work of Dr. Parker J. Palmer, Founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal, who is a world-renowned writer, speaker and activist. Explore the principles, practices and resources from the Center for Courage & Renewal: https://couragerenewal.org/courage-renewal-approach/
This program is being independently organized and led by a Courage & Renewal Facilitator(s) prepared by the Center for Courage & Renewal.
Schedule
Friday, November 14
3:00 pm – Check-in for Retreatants Staying in RGH
6:30 pm – Registration
7:00-9:00 pm – Session One
Saturday, November 15
9:00-10:15 am – Session Two
10:15-10:30 am – Break
10:30 am-12:00 pm – Session Three
12:00-1:30 pm – Lunch and Free Time
1:30-3:00 pm – Session Four
3:00-3:15 pm – Break
3:30-5:00 pm – Session Five
5:15 pm – Dinner
Sunday, November 16
10:00 am-12:00 pm – Session Six
Leaders – Mary Louise Peters, MSE & Amy Christianson, EdD

Mary Louise Peters is a Courage & Renewal® Facilitator, providing retreats and renewal experiences since 2010. She has worked as an educator and consultant at local, state and national levels to improve early childhood and special education for children and families, teaching practices and conditions for staff, and state educational systems.

Amy Christianson recently completed the Courage & Renewal® Practicum Program. Amy has been a participant in a number of seasonal and Circle of Trust retreats. She has a long professional career in education within early childhood, K-12 and higher education settings. Amy’s background includes educational leadership, organizational change and working with diverse populations.

Cost
$250 commuter; $435 residential
Register
Please register by November 7, 2025. The maximum number of participants is 24 and registration will close when full.
Cancellation policy – if you register but must cancel your registration, you can receive a 75% refund up until November 7, 2025. After that, a 50% refund is available until the retreat starts.

Fall Fallowing: A Seasonal Retreat
2025-11-19 13:00 - 2025-11-20 16:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
A changing landscape palette… the final harvests from the garden… the departure of migratory creatures… these seasonal milestones are reminders to notice and integrate past growth, honoring it for its role in nurturing future growth. This fall retreat invites you to pause and mark transitions – on the prairie and in your own life and heart. It will hold space for attention to both.
Seasonal Retreats
Each season this year, we will offer a different seasonal retreat. They will open spaces where each different season can offer its unique wisdom to us in the changing seasons of our lives. Each retreat is a two-day, one-night experience at Holy Wisdom with cozy accommodations, delicious meals, spacious time periods for solitude, reading and rest and contemplative conversations with other retreatants. There will also be a variety of opportunities to explore the prairies and the season and discover their gifts for you.
Fall Fallowing Date/Times
Wed., November 19, 1:00 pm – Thu., November 20, 4:00 pm, 2025
Arrive between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm on November 19 to check into your room. The retreat begins at 1:00 pm on November 19 and concludes at 4:00 pm on November 20.
Exact schedule TBD. Will include rest, solitude, walking meditations, movement and art.
Cost
$250/person – Early bird registration until October 11, 2025
$295/person – Full price cost starting October 12, until sold out or November 12, 2025
The cost of the retreat includes program, meals (Wednesday dinner, Thursday breakfast and lunch) and overnight room.
Register
The registration deadline for this retreat is November 12, 2025, or when the retreat fills.
Cancellation policy – if you register but must cancel your registration, you can receive a 75% refund up until November 12, 2025. After that, a 50% refund is available until the retreat starts.
After you register, if you would like to request a double room with another retreatant or if you have other questions about accommodations, please contact Brooke Livingston at blivingston@holywisdommonastery.org.
