Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery.

James Rissler tried to prepare for his first Contemplative Renewal Immersion, and first visit to Holy Wisdom Monastery, by reading the Rule of Benedict. As a Mennonite Pastor from Georgia, he was not quite sure what to expect. He had some uncertainty about where he was heading in his vocation and a desire to explore more contemplative practices. He was concerned that St. Benedict seems to discourage humor and laughter. He wondered, “What kind of place will this be?”

On the first day, James was walking by the gardens and heard another pastor in his cohort, Amy, laughing loudly. He told Amy how much her joy put him at ease after reading Benedict’s discouragement of laughter. Amy shared her concerns over the upcoming 24 hours of silence, a practice that is comfortable for James.  This exchange confirmed for him the strength of being together in a cohort. “I’ve always been someone who appreciates processing things in relationships, so coming to Holy Wisdom and engaging in contemplative practices with other clergy from across the country and different traditions was attractive.” The diversity of the group and the way each of their gifts supported one another deepened his understanding of how important it is to be present for others, not just as a pastor, but as a person.

When it was time to write a Rule of Life in the Winter Immersion, James wrote a rule that reflected his desire to keep working not on specific practices, but on his presence. “My rule doesn’t commit me to any practices. It commits me to a kind of presence in the world. I’m clearer on a sense that who I am as a leader and a pastor is a person who tries to show up with a particular kind of presence to remain grounded in God’s love and sharing that love with those with whom I engage.”

James’ rule has a larger form, but it is the simple version that he references regularly: “I try to live with love, joy and presence.” Over five years have passed since James’ wrote this rule and shared it with his cohort and the sisters. James reflects, “Immediately and over the last five years, it facilitated, it deepened, it pointed me on a path that I’ve continued to walk…. The kind of person I am now, as a leader, was planted at Holy Wisdom and continues to grow.”

This ongoing growth comes through experiences outside of Holy Wisdom Monastery and through his monthly small group online gatherings with four members of his cohort, regular reunions with his full cohort and ongoing connection to the wider community of communities. “There is a kind of community that Holy Wisdom is as a whole, of which the Center for Clergy Renewal is an important part. But it’s a mutually beneficial relationship. I think neither would be what it is without the other. The space, the community, feels like it has a certain charism.”

Thank you for being part of the nurturing environment that can help James and other pastors find grounding in how they are being called to show up in the world.

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Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery.

“I don’t know if burned out is the right word,” reflects Julane Nease when recalling what led her to apply to Contemplative Renewal Immersions, “but I was feeling the stress of my call. There’d been a lot of difficulties that had happened within the life of the people in the congregation.” When she arrived for her first immersion in July 2021, she realized she was not alone. “I remember at that first session being struck at how emotional it was, several people, and I think probably me, were crying when we were talking about what had been going on and all the stress points in our lives and ministries.”

Julane felt the welcome and embrace of the cohort community in the group sessions. In Centering Prayer, she found a welcome and embrace from Christ. “I remember sitting in the oratory sinking into Centering Prayer and saying to myself, ‘OK, Jesus, here I am.’ And then I saw Jesus’ eyes right in front of me. I heard him say, ‘I’m here too.’”

By the end of the first immersion, Julane knew the contemplative way of praying and understanding God was needed in her life. The encouragement to look inward helped her to see the need to care for her own spiritual health. She is an extrovert and generally tends to be outward facing in her life. Paying attention to the internal was amazing, but hard. She entered the second immersion tender and ready for care. “It was okay because it was really a soft place to land. I knew that if all I could do was cry that was okay and people would be there to support me. I’ll always be tremendously grateful for that space.”

Beyond the two immersions, it is Julane’s ongoing small group that has provided a deep ongoing connection. “They are people that will show up for me whenever I need them, and they know that I will do that for them too.” It is also in her small group where Julane continues to develop her understanding of what it means to be a contemplative person and pastor. “We talk about it in our small group because we all feel we are walking contemplatives in this world. Thinking of myself that way reminds me to pause and be quiet, because how else am I going to hear God if things are so loud? Especially in this season in our country, everything is so loud. If I can remember to take five minutes of Centering Prayer, it is enough to refocus. Remember my breath. That’s been a big change.”

In her effort to be a walking contemplative in the world, Julane incorporates aspects of contemplative practice into worship. Worship now starts with silence, a form of Statio that Julane sees as particularly helpful for bringing the community together when some are online and others are in person. Reading Psalms aloud together has also shifted. “I remember Sister Lynne talking to us about how the sisters read out loud together. It’s about listening to each other. It’s not just about saying the words. I always try to let my voice be one voice among others. Sometimes I have the sense I’m going with the waves of the way the people are reading and speaking.” Thank you for being part of the community that supports the walking contemplatives in our loud world. The deep roots Julane developed through the Contemplative Renewal Immersions are continuing to feed Julane and her congregation, bringing forth new fruit as they continue to walk together through challenging times.

The post Walking contemplative appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.

Schedule

6:00 pm – Taizé will begin

Cost and Registration

There is no cost to attend the Taizé prayer, but please register below by May 21st so we may plan accordingly.

The post Taizé Prayer for Pentecost appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.

All families with children are invited to Family Gathering on Saturday, April 18, 3:00-6:00 pm.

Join us for a Family Gathering to experience the joy of anticipation in community. At this event, school-age children will gather to learn and play together, and childcare for the littlest ones is provided. Parents and caregivers will have some free-choice time to enjoy all the Monastery has to offer. The gathering will conclude with a shared meal.

Children ages 6-9 are invited to join Sarah Wilkin Gibart for prayer and creative work time.

Parents, this is an opportunity to enjoy the monastery and catch a breath in this busy season! You may choose to join in the children’s program, or take in the art exhibit, relax in the library, bring a project of your own, or simply have time for coffee and conversation.

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).

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. Nichole Rasmus (formerly Nichole Fromm), our Childcare and Support Specialist, will provide childcare for the younger children.

Cost

$25/family

Questions

Please contact Sarah: sjwilkin09@gmail.com or Nichole: nrasmus@holywisdommonastery.org with any questions.

Registration

Please register by April 8, 2026.

The post Family Gathering appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick will take place at Holy Wisdom Monastery in the Oratory on Sunday, March 22nd, following Sunday Assembly. If you are sick and in need of the healing presence of the Holy Spirit – perhaps you have a diagnosis, or you are waiting for test results, maybe you have a surgery coming up, if you are sad and full of anxiety, whatever the issues – this sacrament is for you. Allow the prayers of this community to wash over you and let the Spirit calm your heart and soul. Be assured that the sisters, coworkers, the oblates and members of Sunday Assembly are all keeping you in prayer. Please plan to join us.

The post Anointing of the Sick appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.

Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery

Christy Suffecool was one of the first pastors to come for a Deep Breath retreat when the ministry began in the fall of 2023. Her first Deep Breath retreat in November 2023, led to another in November 2024, and another in November 2025. Thinking back to when she heard about the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery in 2023, Christy remembers, “… I was fried. I did what I thought was self-care, but it really wasn’t taking care of me the way I needed to. I started the process of looking for a place to retreat to, but I was running into a lot of places that would not accept women clergy, or if they did, they wouldn’t acknowledge that I was a pastor. I needed a place where I was going to be supported and encouraged.”

Christy realized quickly that the community at Holy Wisdom Monastery is one where she would be welcomed. “But I felt completely clueless. I had no idea what it would look like to ‘do renewal.’” She took the framework and resources provided as part of Deep Breath retreats and leaned into that. The schedule centers on joining the sisters for prayer three times a day which Christy remembers being a struggle at first, “I was reluctant, I remember the first few times sitting there, not knowing what to do. In centering prayer I could not get my brain to calm down. I remember holding the prayer beads thinking,  ‘Okay, at least I can sit here and sit still and hold something even if my brain isn’t still.’ But by the end of that week, I realized I had discovered peace. So, I spent the next year trying to build a rhythm in my life and trying to continue to pursue peace, not realizing it wasn’t something I could pursue. I had to learn to live into it.”

“The second year when I came, it was much more about getting back into the rhythm and resetting.” As Christy continued to incorporate the rhythm of prayer she learned at Holy Wisdom Monastery after her second Deep Breath, she also moved to a new appointment as Senior Pastor at New Leaf United Methodist Church in Conneaut, Ohio. In her new parsonage, Christy set up a prayer room. “I’ve started practices of daily prayer time. I don’t do it every day, but I know how to care for myself better than I used to. I’ve gotten feedback that I’m a much more effective pastor because of it.” Her children have also noticed the changes. “The first time I came back from Holy Wisdom, both of my daughters said, ‘You are a different mom. This was good for you, and you needed it.”

Christy was back for her third Deep Breath in November of 2025. She has already told her new congregation that this is something she needs to do every year. “This was not anything I was ever expecting when I came here. Which is funny to say because I didn’t know what to expect. But I did not anticipate the impact it would have, or that this would become my thing that I want to do every year. Some people plan beach vacations every year. I plan my getaway to the monastery to go be with God for a week and escape the rest of the world. All the problems and all the challenges will still be there when I go back, but I’ve had a chance to refresh and renew. I get time to sit and be with God, to hike, and I do the things that fill my soul. I get to be around the sisters and go through the rhythms and have the great food.”

Christy has found a rhythm of renewal through the pattern of daily prayer and annual Deep Breath retreats that is sustaining her ministry and helping her to grow in a new appointment. “Holy Wisdom Monastery was the catalyst to take me to the next stage in ministry. [I learned] it had to be me healing and taking care of myself first so that I could be utilized, and Deep Breath created that space for me to do that.” This rhythm is helping her to scatter seeds in Ohio as she begins to look at how her congregation can use their land as part of their ministry. Another piece she is learning from time at Holy Wisdom Monastery that she hopes to grow in years to come. Thank you for being part of the community that holds the space and renewing rhythms that sustain Christy in her ministry.

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Taizé Prayer will replace midday prayer on March 20 in the assembly room. Please join us following prayer for lunch in the dining room.

Schedule

11:00 am – Taizé will begin

12:00 pm – Lunch

Cost and Registration

There is no cost to attend the Taizé prayer, but please register below by March 13th so we may plan accordingly for lunch.

The post Lenten Taizé Prayer & Soup Lunch appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.

All families with children are invited to a special Lenten Family Gathering, Saturday, March 7, 3:00-6:00 pm.

Join us for a Family Gathering to experience the joy of anticipation in community. At this event, school-age children will gather to learn and play together, and childcare for the littlest ones is provided. Parents and caregivers will have some free-choice time to enjoy all the Monastery has to offer. The gathering will conclude with a shared meal.

Children ages 6-9 are invited to join Sarah Wilkin Gibart for prayer and creative work time. We will explore the rich theme of Lent.

Parents, this is an opportunity to enjoy the monastery and catch a breath in this busy season! You may choose to join in the children’s program, or take in the art exhibit, relax in the library, bring a project of your own, or simply have time for coffee and conversation.

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).

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. Nichole Rasmus (formerly Nichole Fromm), our Childcare and Support Specialist, will provide childcare for the younger children.

Cost

$25/family

Questions

Please contact Sarah: sjwilkin09@gmail.com or Nichole: nrasmus@holywisdommonastery.org with any questions.

The post Family Gathering appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.

Please join us following Taizé prayer for lunch in the dining room.

Schedule

11:00 am – Taizé will begin

12:00 pm – Lunch

Cost and Registration

There is no cost to attend the Taizé prayer, but please register below by March 13th so we may plan accordingly.

The post Lenten Taizé Prayer Service appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.

Dec. 24, 2025

• 8:00 am – Morning Prayer (Oratory)
• 11:45 am – Midday Prayer (Oratory)
• 4:00 pm – Christmas Eve Eucharist (Assembly Room)

Dec. 25

• 8:00 am – Morning Prayer (Oratory)
• 9:00 am – Christmas Day Worship (Assembly Room)

Dec. 26-27

• No Public Prayer

Dec. 28

• 8:00 am – Morning Prayer (Oratory)
• 8:40 am – Christmas Carol Sing-Along (Assembly Room)
• 9:00 am – Sunday Assembly Eucharist (Assembly Room)

Dec. 29-Jan. 1, 2026

• No Public Prayer

Jan. 2

• Resume regular prayer schedule

The post Christmas Prayer & Worship Schedule appeared first on Holy Wisdom Monastery.