Submitted by Erin Trondson, executive director
I started at the Monastery on January 15th, 2024, and made it a goal to meet with as many community members as were willing in my first 100 days. At that same time, I had been reading the Rule of St. Benedict who, on the first page, instructs us to listen with the ear of the heart. I had the privilege of listening with the ear of my heart while more than 100 community members spoke of this beloved community. It is a time I will not soon forget and has planted seeds in my heart that will continue to blossom in the years to come.
One of the questions I asked during these sessions was, what is precious to you about this community? The answers varied enormously, but four themes emerged. First, hospitality is precious to this community – this includes, above all else, being inclusive and welcoming – but it also means providing a refuge and place to retreat from the harsher, outside world. I heard Holy Wisdom described as a bubble, or an island of sanity in an increasingly hostile world. Hospitality also means greeting every person who walks through the door with deep love and profound respect.
A second theme of importance for our community is the land. The grounds of Holy Wisdom are seen as sacred and holy, and with that comes the responsibility to learn how to be good stewards of this land. I learned from you, that caring for these many acres is our privilege and our honor. It must include learning the complex history and sharing that with our communities. Care for the earth, environmental sustainability and kindness towards all living beings is central and precious to the community of Holy Wisdom.
The sisters were held up by many as the most precious and central part of this community. Praying with, working with and being welcomed by the sisters holds incredible meaning in our community. I also heard pride in these conversations. Pride for the profound and brave work these women have done over the decades to separate from the Catholic Church and become ecumenical; admiration for their strength in refusing to sell land to developers; and praise for committing to a green building, restoring a lake and prairie and becoming Net Zero. These were just the public actions mentioned, then there were the thousands of acts of kindness, respect, inclusion and love the sisters showed for community members in quiet and personal ways.
Finally, it is the community itself that is precious to us. The quote shared by Sister Lynne Smith during the Transfer of Leadership, and by Pam Shellberg in her recent homily, was from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, who says the next Buddha may be a Sangha. Another word for Sangha is community. The Holy Wisdom community is in and of itself precious to you all, but it is also varied and complex. It is experienced differently by different members. For some, community means rolling up your sleeves and sowing prairie seeds with fellow volunteers. For others it is the singing, the praying and the fellowship of Sunday Assembly. Many value, above all else, the daily prayer community with the sisters. Numerous folks highlighted an expanded understanding of community to include the non-human beings (plants and animals) they found on the land. Others mentioned the community of other pastors as part of the Center for Clergy Renewal. The coworkers smile from ear to ear when describing their workplace community. The dedicated and generous Oblates discussed finding their community in service to the monastery. Others talked about events like Saving Our Songbirds Together, the Spring Solar Tilt, The Lenten Series, or other retreats as how they found a community of like-minded people.
Regardless of how one finds community at Holy Wisdom, it is undeniable that it is a diverse and varied experience. I have learned from Dr. Amy Alstad the importance of a diverse and varied prairie of native plants to have a strong and healthy ecosystem. I wonder if it is a similar strength and beauty we value in our diverse Community of Communities.
The second question I asked during these sessions was, what do you see as opportunities for growth. Your answers have given me much to ponder and synthesize with the board and the sisters in the coming months and years; during which we will likely transform and evolve. Transformation and evolution are not new at Holy Wisdom. Historically we have often pivoted to do what is right in the world, or to better meet the complex needs of our community. This sort of growth and development will continue, but you all have uncovered for me what is precious, and I will work to keep that central and present always.
Thank you for taking the time to help me understand this community. Your patient explanations, your laughter, your tears, your stories and your wisdom will live in the support, guidance and decisions of our community now and in the future.
And please know that I will always do my best to listen with the ear of the heart. I welcome you in my office at any time for tea, or for a walk on the prairie.
It is my honor to serve this community.
Kindly,
Erin
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Consider deepening your involvement with our Community of Communities – contact Erin at etrondson@holywisdommonastery.org if you are interested in learning more.
- Join the Grant Research and Writing Team
- Join the Finance Committee
- Support Sunday Assembly by joining the Volunteer Team (volunteer roles include greeter, cleanup, prep, welcoming new guests, etc.)
- Consider helping with children and families by volunteering for Sunday Assembly Childcare or Kids on the Prairie
- Donate and further the good work Holy Wisdom does to weave prayer, hospitality, justice and care of the earth into a shared way of life – our community.