Beauty during Lent 

Lynne Smith, OSBBenedictine Reflections 3 Comments

The monastery’s theme for 2022 is beauty. Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote in The Brothers Karamozov: “The world will be saved by beauty.” The first image that came to me as I pondered this was that of Vedran Smajlovic playing Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor in the bombed streets of Sarajevo in 1992. He played each day for 22 days to mark the death of the 22 people killed standing in line for bread during the siege of the city. Hear the story from BBC news.    Beauty can keep the human heart and spirit alive in the midst of suffering. The PBS …

Spring art exhibit opening reception

Car McGinley Leave a Comment

Contemplative Landscapes by artist Ann Haberl The exhibit of oil paintings and prints by Madison artist Ann Haberl will open at Holy Wisdom Monastery on Friday, May 5, 2017, with a reception from 5:00-7:00 pm. Ann’s work explores the reverence she feels for the natural world and aligns with the Benedictine values of beauty, balance, simplicity and contemplation. Please join us as we welcome Ann and her exhibit to the monastery. Light refreshments will be served and Ann will give a brief talk about her work at 6:00 pm. No RSVP required. The exhibit will be at the monastery through the end of …

St Cloud Symphony Orchestra

Can beauty save the world?

Rosy Kandathil, OSBLetters home, Living in Community 5 Comments

Music filled the darkened performance hall. An attentive hush fell over the audience as the lush strains of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 in E minor drew us together in wonder, a fellowship of listeners. For a few brief and precious moments, all of these strangers in a room made up one marvelous whole, separate but together, rooted in place yet soaring at the same time. It was Saturday night, and Sister Tammy Shoemaker from Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, MN and I were treating ourselves to an evening out with the St Cloud Symphony Orchestra. As we took …