Holy Wisdom Monastery

CCR Contemplative Renewal Immersion - Cohort 2023
2024-06-17 - 2024-06-20 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States

Wisdom Prairie Workdays
2024-06-19 09:00 - 11:30 (America/Chicago)
Volunteers are essential partners in our environmental stewardship. Consider joining us for Wisdom Prairie Workdays and volunteer in the restored prairies, savannas and woodlands at Holy Wisdom Monastery to sustain your spirit and the land. Activities shift seasonally, with common projects including invasive species removal and seed collecting.
2024 Wisdom Prairie Workdays
Volunteer workdays take place year-round on Wednesdays from 9:00-11:30 am. Meet at the kiosk at the top of the monastery building parking lot. Come for all or part of the workday.
Please register by emailing Amy Alstad, aalstad@holywisdommonastery.org.
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What if none of the workdays don’t align with my schedule?
Consider coming for a walk on the trails whenever your availability permits. We could always use your help monitoring trail conditions!
Goals for our trail monitoring program include:

Early detection of trail issues
Collecting data on number of trail users
Diversifying opportunities for volunteers

Protocol for trail monitoring is simple:
Walk a section – or two or all – of the Holy Wisdom trails and report what you encounter using a simple online form. For now, this is a purely a monitoring program. In other words, no need to engage with trail users e.g. about dogs or other infractions.
Click button to access the reporting form for trail monitoring:

Access Form

Kids on the Prairie
2024-06-23 10:30 - 12:00
Explore nature’s beauty and surprises!
Kids on the Prairie 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.
June 23 – Butterflies & Berries
We will search the prairie for butterflies. Our monarch expert will show us some monarch eggs. We will use magnifiers to find interesting insects on prairie plants. Then we’ll explore the woods to find seasonal berries and learn who eats them.

CCR Contemplative Renewal Immersion - Cohort 2024
2024-07-08 - 2024-07-15

Center for Clergy Renewal Gratitude Brunch
2024-07-14 10:15 - 11:30
The Center for Clergy Renewal cohort pastors benefit from being a part of the Holy Wisdom communities during their Immersions. This brunch is a way to say thank you and share some of the pastors’ reflections about what the experience meant to them.
Date & Time
You are invited to join us for the CCR Gratitude Brunch on Sunday, July 14, 2024, from 10:15 am – 11:30 am. The brunch follows Sunday Assembly worship which starts at 9:00 am.
Schedule

9:00 – 10:00 am – Sunday Assembly worship (optional)
10:15 – 10:45 am – Brunch
10:45 – 10:50 am – Comments from leadership
10:50 – 11:20 am – Comments from cohort pastors
11:20 – 11:30 am – Closing remarks and Q&A

Register
There is no cost to you for this event, but registration is required. Please register below by July 7, 2024.

Community Art Exhibit Opening Reception
2024-07-21 10:15 - 11:30
Opening Reception
You are invited to the Community Art Exhibit opening reception, on Sunday, July 21, 2024, 10:15 am at Holy Wisdom Monastery. Meet the artists, enjoy some cookies and view an amazing collection of art from a variety of different artists, all from the Holy Wisdom Community of Communities. No registration is necessary for the reception, and all are welcome, so bring your friends.
Community Art Exhibit
July 16-Sep. 16, 2024, at Holy Wisdom Monastery
This exhibit celebrates the talents of our community members – people from the Friends of Wisdom Prairie, Sunday Assembly, Oblates, the Center for Clergy Renewal, Donors, Volunteers, Retreatants, Board members, the Sisters and Coworkers. We have 28 different artists featured in the Community Art Exhibit.
The exhibit is open to the public from July 16-Sep. 16, 2024, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, Tuesday through Friday and 10:00-11:00 am, Sundays, except holidays. The art gallery at Holy Wisdom is located in the gathering area in the monastery building.

Summer Stewards
2024-07-23 16:00 - 2024-07-28 16:00
Are you worried about climate change but don’t know what to do?
Would you like time away for reflection, discernment and prayer?
Do you want to deepen your spirituality in a setting that connects your faith with care for the earth?
Be a Summer Steward at Holy Wisdom Monastery for six days in July. Live the monastic rhythm of prayer, work and rest in a progressive, inclusive community whose mission includes being in right relationship with the earth and one another. Join us for prairie and oak savanna restoration, gardening, reading and spiritual conversation. Share your experiences, reflections and questions with women on a similar journey – all this while living together in community on the monastery grounds. No previous experience required.

Wisdom Prairie Summer Tour
2024-07-25 08:00 - 10:00
Experience the seasonal beauty of Wisdom Prairie by coming out to explore during a time of peak summer blooms. Experienced tour guides will lead small groups on routes of varying length through the restored prairies, savannas and woodlands of Holy Wisdom Monastery. All are welcome.
𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆
Various tour lengths will be offered. You must be able to walk one mile on mowed hiking trails.
𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Meet at the outdoor kiosk located at the top of the Holy Wisdom Monastery’s upper parking lot.
𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿
Please register below so we have enough tour guides and can communicate with you about the event.

Community Cookout
2024-08-08 17:00 - 19:00
Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024 – rain or shine
You are invited to the Community Cookout at Holy Wisdom Monastery on August 8, 2024, 5:00-7:00 pm for a fun, casual, community building event.
This is a great event to come to if you’ve been curious about Holy Wisdom Monastery and looking for a reason to visit or if you want to support the monastery while the Retreat & Guest House is shut down for geothermal work. Please encourage your friends and family to come, all are welcome!
All proceeds will go to support the mission and work of the monastery.
Please plan to join us and enjoy our wonderful community on a summer evening.
Cost
Due to overwhelming interest, we are sold out of sandwiches from the grill. Please consider still joining us on August 8th and bring your own picnic or carry-in food. Register below to help us plan for your attendance. We are so grateful for your support. See you there!
This is a fundraising event and admission is $15/person, 13 and older, and $5/child, 12 and under, which includes:

Family friendly activities, including face painting and butterfly activities
Games for all ages
Brief indoor & outdoor tours
Scavenger hunt
13 and older: hamburger, cheeseburger, veggie burger or veggie burger with cheese, sides and a non-alcoholic beverage – meals sold out
Under 12: chicken nuggets, fries and a drink – meals sold out
More information about all the communities of the monastery
For those 21 and older, feel free to bring an alcoholic beverage if you’d like – please drink responsibly.

* Feel free to bring your own food, the admission fee remains the same if you eat the cookout food or bring your own.
Location
Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI. The event will take place outdoors on the monastery patio and indoors in the guest dining room, with plenty of space inside if there is rain. You are welcome to bring a blanket or chairs if you’d rather sit on the lawn.

Register
Please register below so we know how much food to prepare. Feel free to share this information with family and friends. All are welcome!

Kids on the Prairie
2024-08-11 10:30 - 12:00
Explore nature’s beauty and surprises!
Kids on the Prairie 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.
August 11 –Lost Lake Critters. Who lives in the lake? Take a look at the tiny critters that feed all the residents of Lost Lake. Observe the painted turtles and explore the trails around the lake for signs of other creatures.

Young Adult Community Bonfire
2024-08-20 18:00 - 20:00
Join our Young Adult Community for pizza and a bonfire on Tues., Aug. 20, 6:00-8:00 pm. This is a fun social event for people ages 18-35 who want to build community with others. In the event of rain, we will have indoor activities.
Contact YoungAdults@holywisdommonastery.org with questions.
Please register below so we know how many to expect.

Kids on the Prairie
2024-09-08 10:30 - 12:00
Explore nature’s beauty and surprises!
Kids on the Prairie 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 8 – Seed Collecting
Seeds hold all of life. Take a seed stroll through the prairie. Then collect seeds of some native prairie plants and learn how to plant them. Every family will take home seeds from two species.

Family-friendly volunteer opportunity
2024-09-08 11:00 - 13:30
On Sunday, September 8th from 11:00 am -1:30 pm, we will host a family-friendly volunteer opportunity in conjunction with Kids on the Prairie. We will celebrate the beauties and bounties of autumn with activities that include harvesting, sorting and pressing apples in the monastery orchard and collecting seeds from Wisdom Prairie. Meet at the kiosk in the upper parking lot at 11:00 am.
Please help us spread the word and/or bring a friend! Contact aalstad@holywisdommonastery.org with questions.

Enchanting Eyes Art Exhibit Opening Reception
2024-09-20 18:00 - 20:00
You are invited to attend the opening reception of Enchanting Eyes – the newest art exhibit at Holy Wisdom Monastery featuring the work of Karen Nell McKean. Light refreshments will be served.
Karen is an award-winning oil painter whose work varies from impressionistic landscapes to magical images that emerge from her dreams and imagination. Karen was one of the founders of the Ovens of Brittany Restaurant in Madison, WI and 3 of the 4 paintings that she created for the restaurant will be on display. Each of those paintings are over 5 feet tall.
Schedule
6:00 pm – Reception begins with light refreshments
6:45 pm – Karen Nell McKean will give a brief talk about her work and answer questions
8:00 pm – Reception ends
Artist
Karen has been artistic from an early age – she said kindergarten! Her parents were very supportive and provided instructors and mentors throughout her childhood. She has been involved in art for her entire life, received many awards, is a member of the Wisconsin Regional Art Association and participant in the
Wisconsin Regional Artists Program. Her original work is on permanent display at Epic Systems Software, US Health Eastpark Medical Center and Four Winds Farm in Fitchburg.
Exhibit
Enchanting Eyes is on display in the gathering area of the monastery building from September 18 through November 20, 2024. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (excluding holidays) and Sunday, 10:00 – 11:00 am.
Register
We hope you are able to attend the reception and view Enchanting Eyes. Please register below so we know how many to expect.

Celebration of Monastic Profession
2024-09-22 09:00 - 11:30
You are invited to celebrate with the sisters as Sister Everline Jeruto, OSB makes her final profession as a member of Benedictine Women of Madison and Sister Joanne Kollasch, OSB renews her promises of her 70th anniversary of profession during the Sunday Assembly liturgy on September 22. Join us for worship followed by a meal provided by the sisters’ community.
Schedule
9:00 am – Sunday Assembly, ecumenical Eucharist
10:30 am – Brunch provided

Conversations about Our Benedictine Life – Stability
2024-09-29 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-10-08 18:30 - 20:00, 2024-10-23 13:00 - 14:30, 2024-11-12 18:30 - 20:00
Stability
You are invited to attend Conversations about Our Benedictine Life – Stability, starting in September 2024. These events will provide opportunities to talk with others about the value of stability and to learn a bit about stability as a feature of Benedictine spirituality. Each gathering will be a time to share reflections on our ideas, experiences, and beliefs about stability, Benedict’s teachings, and what spiritual gifts are to be discovered in a life where a practice of stability is central.
The gatherings will be between 60 and 90 minutes in length. They will include time for reflections, for the reading of short pieces on stability from the Rule of Benedict and others, and conversations about the gifts and challenges of a practice of stability.
This program is not a series, but we are offering multiple date and speaker options.
Dates/times (choose one or come to multiple sessions)

Su, Sep. 29, in-person, 10:30-11:30 am – led by Mary Hoddy & Sister Lynne Smith
Tu, Oct. 8, online, 6:30-8:00 pm – led by Mary Lynn Adams & Pam Shellberg
W, Oct. 23, in-person, 1:00-2:30 pm – led by Mary Hoddy & Carole Kretschman
Tu, Nov. 12, online, 6:30-8:00 pm – led by Mary Lynn Adams & Pam Shellberg

Leaders
Sister Lynne Smith is a Benedictine sister for whom the practice of stability has been part of her monastic life at Holy Wisdom. Mary Lynn Adams, Mary Hoddy and Carole Kretschman are oblates of Holy Wisdom, all living lives reflecting their formation in Benedictine spirituality. Pam Shellberg is the director of spiritual nourishment at Holy Wisdom.
Cost
There is no fee charged to participants for these events.
Register
Please register below so we know which event(s) you will attend.

Kids on the Prairie
2024-10-13 10:30 - 12:00
Explore nature’s beauty and surprises!
Kids on the Prairie 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 13 – Trees in Fall
Trees are more than their leaves. Walk through the savanna and the woods exploring bark, nuts, lichens and more. Look for animal homes. Make a leaf rubbing. Take photos.

Wisdom Prairie Fall Tour
2024-10-24 13:00 - 15:00
Experience the seasonal beauty of Wisdom Prairie by coming out to explore the autumn landscape. Knowledgeable tour guides will lead small groups on routes of varying lengths through the restored prairies, savannas and woodlands of Holy Wisdom Monastery.
All tours will depart from front doors, and last approximately 75 minutes (flexible, depending on conditions and group interest).
Tour guides
Amy Alstad is the director of land management and environmental education at Holy Wisdom Monastery. She has a PhD in prairie ecology from UW Madison, almost a decade of professional experience in the field of restoration ecology, and a deep-rooted family tradition of restoring and tending prairies that spans four generations.
Amy will be joined by several experienced tour guides from Friends of Wisdom Prairie.
Register
Please register below to let us know how many tour guides we’ll need.

Celebration of Ministry
2024-10-25 17:30 - 19:30
Celebration of Ministry Dinner
The Center for Clergy Renewal’s (CCR) second annual dinner to celebrate CCR pastors who serve in ecumenical ministries around the country will be held Friday, October 25th, 2024, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. The evening will begin with hors d’oeuvres and dinner and feature remarks from the CCR team and pastors who have participated.
If you’re interested in hearing about how the CCR helps pastors thrive in ministry and how to support the ongoing work of this important outreach, please join us! There is no cost for the dinner, but we do require reservations so we can plan accordingly. Reservations will be accepted from 9/12/24 and closes 10/16.
Cost
There is no cost to participants to attend this event.
Register
Please register with the button below by October 16, 2024.

HWM Annual Meeting
2024-10-27 10:30 - 11:45
We welcome all community members and friends to join us on Sunday, October 27, 2024, at 10:30 am for the Holy Wisdom Monastery Community-wide Annual Meeting. We invite you to attend virtually via Zoom, or in-person in the monastery dining room. You are welcome to join us for Sunday Assembly worship at 9:00 am, before the annual meeting. This Sunday is a Hospitality Sunday, so please consider bringing a dish to share, and enjoying food during the annual meeting.
Learn from sisters and coworkers about the impact of your donations, about Holy Wisdom’s financial position, as well as projects around the monastery. We hope you join us!
More information
For more information, contact Lara Dulin at ldulin@holywisdommonastery.org or 608-836-1631, x120.
Register
Please register below so we know how many to expect and so we can send the Zoom link if you are attending virtually.

Oblate Retreat & 25th Anniversary of the Oblate Community
2024-11-01 16:00 - 2024-11-03 12:00
An anniversary is a wonderful time to revisit all that has brought the community to this moment, celebrate all the gifts this community offers to the world today, and to listen anew to what the oblates of Holy Wisdom are called to be as we lean into the future. This retreat will include time to tell the stories of the community’s founding and its history, time to consider how the times have changed over this quarter century and discerning what the world today is asking of us, and time to simply celebrate and have a good time with each other!
The retreat will begin on Friday night in conversation with Sister Lynne Smith, executive director Erin Trondson, and board member/oblate Roberta Felker who will draw out their visions and dreams for Holy Wisdom Monastery and what is needed to make dreams a reality – and the special role of the oblate community in making it so. A panel of oblates from classes across the 25 years will reflect on their experiences in the community and how they practice their oblations in the world. A time will be set aside for visioning and integration. And as always, there will be time to be on the prairie, to pray with the sisters, to rest, and to catch up with old friends and new.
This retreat is open to Oblates of Holy Wisdom Monastery and Oblate Candidates.
Register by October 20, 2024, on the Oblate Website!

A Social History of Lake Mendota
2024-11-07 17:00 - 20:00
Spend an evening with the Friends of Wisdom Prairie (FWP) for an entertaining and informative dinner lecture and annual meeting, on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, at Holy Wisdom Monastery.
Years from now, future generations will thank those who stepped up to preserve and protect open spaces. On Thursday, November 7, join Don Sanford, author of On Fourth Lake: A Social History of Lake Mendota, to discover how a few people with big ideas helped transform hundreds of acres of Lake Mendota shoreline, where cows grazed in fields along Highway M and kids sang around the campfires, into a network of protected spaces.
This experience will also be a celebration of the Friends of Wisdom Prairie’s 10th anniversary. We hope you can join us for this special experience.
Schedule
5:00 pm – Refreshments & mingling
6:00 pm – Dinner
6:45 pm – FWP annual meeting & 10-year celebration
7:00 pm – A Social History of Lake Mendota – talk by Don Sanford
8:00 pm – Q&A wrap up | go home
Speaker
Don Sanford is a Madisonian, sailor, iceboater and the author of On Fourth Lake: A Social History of Lake Mendota. Now retired from a career at Wisconsin Public Television, he is well known as the popular host of a Lake Mendota Celebrity tour for the Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) pontoon boat program.
Cost
$38/person
Register
Please register with the button below by October 31, 2024

Kids on the Prairie
2024-11-10 10:30 - 12:00
Explore nature’s beauty and surprises!
Kids on the Prairie 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 10 – Creatures in Winter Family Game
Come for the end of season party. We’ll start with a short hike and then warm up with a bonfire, hot chocolate and a fun interactive game for the whole family.

Women's* Chainsaw Workday
2024-11-14 13:00 - 15:30
Holy Wisdom Monastery is partnering with Dane County Parks to host another Women’s* Restoration Workday on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, from 1:00-3:30 pm!
Why a Women’s* Workday?
*It can often be hard for women, folks who are non-binary/transgender, and other gender minorities to feel comfortable using chainsaws and brush cutters in a typical restoration workday environment. These workdays are meant to create space for such folks who would benefit from this event and to build community in Dane County. We welcome any level sawyer and folks interested in equipment operation. Not interested in operating a chainsaw? Perfect! We also need brush haulers and folks interested in using a parsnip predator to go after invasive weeds.
Volunteers should wear boots or other closed toed shoes, and dress and be ready to work in most weather conditions. Bring drinking water, a snack, and anything else you might need to be comfortable.
Location
Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI. Follow signs to park by brown barn.
Register
Register with the Dane County Parks’ sign-up form by clicking the button below.

Monthly Family Gathering
2024-11-16 16:00 - 18:30
Calling all families with children ages 0-12! Children & Family Ministry invites you to join in our monthly family gatherings.
November will feature children’s prayer time led by Sarah Wilkin Gibart, with spiritual reflection for parents, and potluck supper.
Come be in community, play, reflect, get to know and support one another! RSVP to Sarah: sjwilkin09@gmail.com or just show up!

Sunday of the Fulfillment / Thanksgiving Sunday
2024-11-24 09:00 - 10:00
The sisters and Sunday Assembly want to voice our thanks to all of you who so faithfully offer your various and wonderful ministries to benefit us at Holy Wisdom! Please plan to come so that we can say Thanks to God for you!

Hospitality Sunday
2024-11-24 10:00 - 11:30
All are welcome to Hospitality Sunday following 9:00 am Sunday Assembly worship for a time of fellowship and food. You are invited to bring refreshments to share. Please provide a small sign if your treat includes nuts or alcohol.
