Good Friday Worship
2024-03-29 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Service at 3:00 pm
All gather in silence. The liturgy features the Passion of John. With simple chant, the cross is brought into the midst of the community. Through the veneration of the cross and prayers of intercession, we respond to the Passion of Jesus.

Holy Thursday Worship
2024-03-28 17:00 - 19:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
5:00 pm Social with hors d’oeuvres, 6:00 pm Service
We gather to share the Word, serve each other in the washing of feet and share in the Eucharist. Our collection will assist local food pantries. The liturgy concludes with time for silent prayer.

Holy Week Silent Retreat
2024-03-28 16:00 - 2024-03-31 11:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Join us for an extended silent retreat in which people have opportunities to:

Attend the Holy Week liturgies with the sisters and others.
Explore the theme of ‘they hear my voice’ through optional meetings for lectio divina (prayerful reading of scripture) and other contemplative engagements with the texts, liturgies and prayers of the week.
Rest in the freedom from social expectations to speak or otherwise be engaged.
Share a depth experience of the mysteries of Holy Week in a community of people seeking the same.

Facilitator
Pam Shellberg is the director of spiritual nourishment at Holy Wisdom Monastery and facilitates the Holy Week Silent Retreat.
As a scripture scholar and educator, she is eager to invite people into a deeper appreciation of the texts that shape the Holy Week liturgies. As someone with a contemplative spirit, she is eager to co-create with retreatants a rich and meaningful experience of silence.

Cost
$340/person, includes overnights on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; dinners on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; lunches on Friday and Saturday; and breakfasts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Registration
Register by March 21, 2024.
A limited number of rooms are available for this retreat and registration will close once the rooms are full.
There is a 75% refund for cancellations before the March 21 registration deadline, a 50% refund after the registration deadline until March 28, 2024.

Palm Sunday Worship
2024-03-24 09:00 - 10:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
The Blessing of Palms & Procession begins our Sunday Assembly Eucharist. The Passion reading of the Gospel of Matthew is proclaimed.

Children's Ministry
2024-03-24 09:00 - 09:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Children ages 6-9 are invited for some learning and prayer time during Sunday Assembly’s Liturgy of the Word.
If you have questions or you are an adult interested in listening to God with the children (willing to sit along as a second adult), contact Sarah Wilkin Gibart.

Saving Our Songbirds Together
2024-03-21 09:00 - 11:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Saving Our Songbirds Together: 3 Ways to Help at Home
In North America, nearly 30% of birds have vanished in the past 50 years, and songbirds are among the hardest hit. The good news is that we can all help by take several simple steps at home.
This workshop will cover how adding bird-friendly plants, reducing threat of window collisions, and buying bird-friendly coffee can directly reduce threats to birds. As part of their registration, participants will get:

meaningful information about three of the most significant ways you can positively affect birds at home, with examples and links to resources,
one native plant to take home, as well as information about our native plant sale/fundraiser through Johnson’s Nursery (plants will be delivered to Madison in May),
a box of Feather Friendly window dots, good for trying out a window treatment at home right away,
a sample pack of Birds & Beans bird-friendly coffee,
and more!

Speakers/Leaders
Brenna Marsicek is the Director of Communications & Outreach with Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, coordinator of the Bird Collision Corps, and a member of the Friends of Wisdom Prairie Council.
Laura Rathmell is the Bird Friendly Outreach & Engagement Specialist with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. She will present on Zoom.
Lisa Gaumnitz is the coordinator for SOS: Save Our Songbirds, and a member of the Friends of Wisdom Prairie Council.
Amy Alstad is the Director of Land Management and Environmental Education at Holy Wisdom Monastery.
Dates/Times
March 21, 2024, 9:00-11:30 am
Cost
$25/person
Location
In-person at Holy Wisdom Monastery
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Register
Please register below by March 13, 2024. There are no refunds for cancellations.

Go Without Hesitation: Lent Series (Online)
2024-03-20 18:30 - 20:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Go Without Hesitation: Lent Series with Pam Shellberg (online)
This online series is full. There is still room in the in-person series on Tuesdays from 10:00-11:30 am. Register below.
Join us for a 5-week study of a gripping tale from the New Testament book of Acts where Peter, Jesus’ disciple, and Cornelius, a Roman centurion, present us with a historical diorama of conflicts mirroring back to us how perceiving God’s will and knowing how to respond is rarely straightforward.
The story guides us in the ways of discerning God’s purposes, asking us to bravely sit with questions we might have about God’s purposes and our faith commitments in the midst of change and transition.
It marks out ways that we can, together, discern truth in our doubts and confusions and hear God’s wisdom in our more vulnerable times. The Spirit directs Peter – and us – to go without hesitation! And so, we will go, unhesitatingly, to live and love in the power and promise of the Holy One.
We’ll meet one time per week (Tuesday mornings in-person or Wednesday evenings via Zoom). The sessions will be part study, part small group sharing and reflection and part lectio divina and contemplation.
Schedule

6:30 – 8:00 pm for the virtual session on Wednesday nights via Zoom

Leader
Pam Shellberg is the director of spiritual nourishment at Holy Wisdom Monastery. She is presenting this event because:

It is a good story for times of change and transition when God’s purposes are not so clear and when doubts, confusions, vulnerabilities cast shadows across one’s faith commitments.
Bible study is part of the balance of Benedictine life.
Lent is a season of preparation for new life in Christ, and it is well for us to turn to sacred texts to examine the unexpected paths to that new life, challenges and demands.
Pam has been an assistant professor of New Testament and eager share from her learning and experience.

Dates/times

Wednesdays, 6:30-8:00 pm on Zoom
Feb. 21, 28; March 6, 13, 20

Cost
$25/person
Register
Please register by Wed., Feb. 14, 2024. The capacity for this series is 40 people and registration will close when we reach 40 people. There is no refund for cancellations.
Register for the in-person (Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30 am) series below.

Taizé Prayer
2024-03-13 11:00 - 12:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Taizé Prayer
Join us for contemplative, meditative Taizé style common prayer, incorporating simple sung refrains, scripture and a brief spoken meditation in the monastery assembly room.
This prayer and meditation will take the place of midday prayer on March 13, 2024 at Holy Wisdom Monastery.
Leaders
Patti LaCross, Sunday Assembly member and Bill Frederick, director of prayer & worship, will lead the Taizé Prayer.
Patti will give a brief meditation on the Lenten season, and the positive life-giving experience that leads to the ‘resurrection’ and the resurrection of Creation around us.
Location
Join us in-person at Holy Wisdom Monastery or online via livestream.
Click here to watch the livestream (on or after the date of the event).

Young Adult Group Hangout
2024-02-27 17:50 - 20:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Build community
Come to the first Young Adult Group Hangout of the year on February 27, 2024. Participants can expect a mix of engaging discussions, activities and moments of reflection as we come together to share our experiences and support one another on our respective paths. In addition, we are always accepting new members, so please share this opportunity with young adults you know.
In an age where the hustle and bustle of daily life can be overwhelming, finding a space for community is invaluable. Holy Wisdom Monastery, a beacon of Benedictine spirituality and contemplative living, has been fostering a sense of connection among young adults through its new Young Adult Group. Throughout 2023, the group organized a potluck, 11 hangouts and a memorable retreat, providing a haven for community building and spiritual exploration.
Schedule
5:50 pm – Arrive (if you have to arrive a bit later, that’s okay)6:00 pm – Dinner is served
7:00 pm – Contemplative conversation questions (use suggested questions or bring your own). > What is something new you want to do this year? > How has your life changed OR how have you changed as a person since last year?
Location
We will meet at the monastery building gathering area. It’s too far out for us to know what the weather will be like. If the weather is good, we might go to the patio for a bonfire! You will get an update from us closer to the time of the event about where exactly we’ll meet.
Food
Dinner will be provided by the monastery at no cost to you.
Questions
If you have any questions, contact Lara and Allie at YoungAdults@holywisdommonastery.org.
Upcoming events
Mark your calendars for our March events.

Thursday, March 14 at 6:00 pm
Tuesday, March 26 at 6:00 pm (Holy Week)

Register
Please register below by Feb. 19, 2024.

Wisdom Prairie Winter Tour
2024-02-22 13:00 - 15:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Wisdom Prairie Winter Tour
Experience the seasonal beauty of Wisdom Prairie as we explore the winter landscape. Knowledgeable tour guides will lead small groups on routes of varying length through the restored prairies, savannas and woodlands of Holy Wisdom Monastery. Guides will share our story of caring for the earth and help participants deepen their relationship with this land. If snow conditions permit, we will have some snowshoes available to borrow.

All are welcome. Must be able to safely navigate winter trails.

Please meet at the front doors of the monastery building at 1:00 pm. If the event is cancelled due to inclement weather, we will email you by the morning of the tour (please register below).

Leader

Dr. 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.

In addition to Dr. Amy Alstad, there will be several volunteer tour guides from the Friends of Wisdom Prairie.

Cost
There is no fee to participate.
Register
Please register below by Feb. 21, 2024

Ash Wednesday
2024-02-14 17:30 - 18:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
You are invited to join us for an Ash Wednesday service with distribution of ashes at 5:30 pm in the assembly room on the main floor of the monastery building.
In addition, we will also distribute ashes at midday prayer at 11:45 am in the oratory on the lower level of the monastery building.
All are welcome.

Ash Wednesday
2024-02-14 11:45 - 12:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
You are invited to join us for midday prayer and the distribution of ashes as Lent starts on Feb. 14, 2023, with Ash Wednesday. Midday prayer takes place in the oratory on the lower level of the monastery building.
In addition, there will be an Ash Wednesday service with distribution of ashes at 5:30 pm in the assembly room on the main floor of the monastery building.
All are welcome.

Inspired Art Reception
2024-02-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Reception
Join us for a reception for the Inspired Art exhibit featuring artists Jennifer Peters (photography), Francine Tompkins (acrylic painting) and Jennifer Angelo (fiber art) on Friday, Feb. 9 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Please register below.
Art Exhibit
Jennifer Peters had an idea about creating an exhibit with artists working in different mediums and how they could blend their individual work into a unified show happening Feb. 2 – Apr. 28, 2024 at Holy Wisdom Monastery.
Each artist created three inspiration pieces and the other two then worked in their own medium, interpreting the original work of art. The result is the new exhibit, Inspired Art, which includes 27 works of art grouped into nine distinct sets sharing their inspiration from a common source.
Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (excluding holidays) and Sunday, 10:00-11:00 am.
Register

CCR Contemplative Renewal Immersion - Cohort 2023
2024-01-18 - 2024-01-24 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States

Advent Series: The Word Dwells In Us
2023-12-20 18:30 - 20:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
In Advent we anticipate – with hope, ache and longing – some refreshed or renewed experience of divine presence in our hearts, in our lives. It is a time when we return to scripture’s birth stories of Jesus because they have a ‘thin place’ quality to them. We return to the beginning when the promise of divine presence seems strongest, brightest, purest. We start at the beginning so that we might also begin again.
This season we turn to the beginning verses of John’s Gospel – a ‘birth narrative’ of a very different sort. We find neither Mary nor Joseph, no shepherds or stars, no angelic chorus – we don’t even find a baby Jesus! Instead, we find the promise of life in a beautiful, lyrical hymn to the incarnation of God in us.
Join us for a three session Advent meditation on the opening verses of John’s gospel. This will be a Zoom offering, held on Wednesday evenings in Advent, December 6, 13 and 20, from 6:30-8:00 pm. Pam Shellberg, director of spiritual nourishment at monastery, will facilitate the series.
Cost
$25/person for the 3-session series.
Registration
Registration closed, Friday, December 1, 2023. There is no refund in case of a cancellation.

Middleton High School Choir Holiday Concert
2023-12-14 12:30 - 13:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
All are welcome to join us for a joyful concert performed by the Middleton High School choir on Thurs., Dec. 14 from 12:30-1:00 pm at Holy Wisdom Monastery. Each year the choir offers a multitude of mini concerts throughout the Middleton community and especially looks forward to coming to Holy Wisdom Monastery for the great audience, acoustics and cookies!
Help fill the assembly room and be surrounded by beautiful sounds of the season. Plus, join us after for cookies, hot beverages and fellowship. Bring your friends and enjoy this short break from your holiday preparations. Please register below.

Net-Zero Webinar
2023-11-16 12:30 - 13:15 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Holy Wisdom Monastery: A Net-Zero Refuge
Join our online event on November 16th to learn about Holy Wisdom Monastery’s next big milestone in our mission to care for the earth. By the end of 2024, the monastery will become the first net-zero energy retreat center in Wisconsin, and one of only a handful across the United States.
During this event, you will learn how and why we are pursuing this bold vision. Whether you are well-acquainted with Holy Wisdom Monastery or curious to learn what we offer, this information session is for all who want to celebrate our local effort to combat global climate change. We will cover the history of the sisters’ work to restore 130 acres of native habitat and ways you can visit or get involved at the monastery. In addition, we will hear from sustainability expert Mark Hanson of Hoffman Planning, Design, and Construction as he shares the innovative ways the monastery will employ green technologies to achieve net-zero energy.
Date/Time

Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023
12:30-1:15 pm CDT on Zoom

Schedule
12:30 pm – Webinar begins on Zoom1:00 pm – 15 minutes for Q&A
Register Today
Please register below so we can send you the Zoom link for the information session.

Dinner & Dialogue: Food for the Journey
2023-11-11 16:00 - 19:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Are you curious about what goes on in a monastery? Are you searching for a place to share questions of meaning and spirituality with other women? Would you like to know more about the practice of receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday?
If you aren’t familiar with the sisters at Holy Wisdom Monastery, come to the Ash Wednesday liturgy and dinner at the monastery. Explore how the monastery can support you in your faith journey and offer spiritual practices as you strive for balance in your life.
Schedule
5:00 pm – Arrival and Welcome
5:30 pm – Ash Wednesday Liturgy
6:30 pm – Dinner and Conversation
7:30 pm – Departure
Cost
There is no cost to participants for this event.
Location
This program takes place at Holy Wisdom Monastery.
Who can attend
This event is open to women who don’t know the sisters and would like to learn more about them and the monastery.
Programs at the monastery
Holy Wisdom Monastery offers a variety of programs, retreats and other experiences for those wishing to grow spiritually or learn about caring for the earth.
Click here to learn upcoming events for women
Click here to learn about all upcoming events
Register

Prairie Medicinals for the Immune System
2023-11-09 17:00 - 20:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery*, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
People who take herbs to support their immune system are sick for a fraction of the time as others or dodge the illness entirely. Learn about the various options Nature offers to support and enhance your wellness. We will cover prairie herbs that make a difference as we enter the winter season.
This presentation by Jane Hawley Stevens is an in-person event and will be paired with the 2023 Friends of Wisdom Prairie Annual Meeting.
Schedule
5:00 pm – Guests arrive for drinks and mingling
6:00 pm – Dinner
6:45 pm – Friends of Wisdom Prairie Annual Meeting
7:00 pm – Presentation: Prairie Medicinals for the Immune System
7:45-8:00 pm – Q&A
Cost
$35/per person, includes drinks, dinner & program
Location
This event takes place at Holy Wisdom Monastery in the monastery building gathering area and dining room.
Presenter
Jane Hawley Stevens began specializing in herbs in 1981 after earning her Horticulture degree from UW Madison. In 1987 she began Four Elements Organic Herbals, continuing to grow herbs used for wellbeing. Grown and harvested on her 130-acre farm in the Baraboo Bluff of Wisconsin, products are handmade by dedicated local women and sold throughout the country. A pioneer in organic farming and the natural product industry, Jane has taken her love and reverence for nature to inspire others through her effective products and teaching at organic herb, garden and professional events. Her desire is to connect people consciously to that which sustains them.
Registration
Please register below by Oct. 25, 2023 or until the event fills up.
There is a 50% refund for cancellations until the Oct. 25 deadline, and no refund for cancellations after the deadline.

Community & Belonging: Women's Retreat
2023-11-04 - 2023-11-05 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Are you seeking community? In this women’s retreat find community with other women as you share stories and questions from your spiritual journey. Spend 24 hours in the company of women in the rhythm of prayer, reflection and sharing. Includes an overnight, lunch and dinner on Saturday and lunch on Sunday, communal prayer, Ecumenical Eucharist and lectio divina (prayerful reading of Scripture). You will have time for yourself and time for group sharing. Leave with a sense of belonging.
Schedule
Saturday10:00 am – Arrival & Welcome10:30 am – Sharing12:00 pm – Lunch | Personal Time | Sharing4:00 pm – Lectio Divina4:30 pm – Evening Prayer5:15 pm – Dinner | Personal TimeSunday8:00 am – Morning Prayer9:00 am – Ecumenical Eucharist10:30 am – Brunch & Closing Conversation12:00 pm – Departure
Cost
There is no cost charged to participants for this event.
Who can attend
Single women, ages 20-45
Register

Hospitality Sunday
2023-10-29 10:00 - 11:30 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
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.

Fall Color Tour of Wisdom Prairie
2023-10-25 13:00 - 15:00 | Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, 53562, United States
Experience the seasonal beauty found at Holy Wisdom Monastery this fall. Knowledgeable tour guides will share our story of caring for the earth and help participants deepen their relationship with this land. Please register below.
Event Leader
Dr. 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.
In addition to Amy, there will be several volunteer tour guides from the Friends of Wisdom Prairie.
Weather
We will proceed with the tour in the event of light to moderate rain but cancel for thunderstorms.
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Land Acknowledgement Statement
Holy Wisdom Monastery acknowledges that Indigenous Nations have called this land home for several thousand years and that, today, 11 tribal Nations live in harmony with the land that is now known as Wisconsin. Further, Holy Wisdom Monastery occupies the ancestral land of the Ho-Chunkgra, People of the Sacred Voice, who today are known as members of the Ho-Chunk Nation. This sacred land is filled with centuries-old stories of Indigenous people and we invite you to join us in reflecting on how their stories and traditional ecological knowledge transform our collective relationship with the land.
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Thank You, Friends of Wisdom Prairie
This experience is made possible by the dedicated members of Friends of Wisdom Prairie. They offer their time, talent and support to help care for the land and provide education to others.
Learn more about Friends of Wisdom Prairie: https://holywisdommonastery.org/environment/friends-of-wisdom-prairie/
Registration
Please register for the prairie tour so we can contact you if we need to cancel the event due to weather.
