Reflections on 25 years as a sister at Holy Wisdom Monastery

Lynne Smith, OSBMonastic Life, Sisters at Holy Wisdom Monastery Leave a Comment

Submitted by Lynne Smith, OSB (she/her), Prioress At the Benedictine Spirituality Workshop and Retreat prior to my final profession, Sister Meg Funk from Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove, Indiana, described Benedictine life as having two aspects: above the river and below the river. This image has stayed with me over the years. Above the river we go to prayers and meals, share in community work and conversation, greet guests and participate in leisure activities. Under the river is where the soul work happens as we seek God in all things. Under the river, praying the Psalms has offered an …

A Shared Way of Life

Lynne Smith, OSBMonastic Life, Uncategorized 5 Comments

by Sister Lynne Smith, OSB, prioress Benedictines around the world celebrate the Solemnity of Benedict and Scholastica on July 11. This is a good opportunity to reflect on what the Benedictine way of life has to offer our world today. The Rule of Benedict was written in the sixth century. Since that time, the people who follow the Rule have applied Benedictine values in their own context. When Benedict of Nursia wrote his Rule, the Roman Empire to which he belonged was in decline, and the world around him was experiencing the chaos of that momentous change. The Rule represented …

Reflections from a Summer Steward

Holy Wisdom MonasteryHospitality, Living in Community, Monastic Life, Prayer & Worship, Summer Stewards, Weekly Wisdom, Women Exploring Community 2 Comments

Submitted by Hannah Keziah Agustin In the beginning of our day, there is silence. We center ourselves on the presence of God in the basement of Holy Wisdom Monastery’s main building at 7:30 in the morning, our chairs facing toward each other as we pray. Outside of the windows, the prairie sprawls with the bloom of a Wisconsin summer – bergamot, coneflowers and butterfly milkweed decorate the fields in the day’s early sun. Here, Benedictine sisters, retreatants and community members gather for the hearing of the liturgy, the singing of worship and the reading of God’s word. Here, we come …

Summer Stewards Reflection By Grace

Holy Wisdom MonasteryLiving in Community, Monastic Life, Retreats, Summer Stewards, Women Exploring Community Leave a Comment

We were immersed in monastery life. We attended prayer, ate meals with the sisters and other retreatants, and shared in chores. The fresh vegetables we harvested in the morning became the dinner we enjoyed in the evening. We helped with restoration efforts on the prairie and in the pines.

3 Ways to Slow the Speed of Time

Monica JefcoatMonastic Life, Retreats Leave a Comment

By Monica Jefcoat, Personal Retreat and Event Coordinator Holy Wisdom Monastery Have you ever noticed how time seems to go by more quickly as we grow older? I recently read an article that offered tips to combat this. First the author summarized this feeling is due to routine. When you’re younger, you experience more things that are new to you that make impressions on your memory and leave the perception of lengthened time. However, as we grow older we’re more likely to settle into familiar rhythms and patterns. These repeated actions are consolidated in the brain as one memory which in turn makes …

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Living at a Monastery, ft. former Sojourner Sarah Wilkin Gibart

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCommunity of Benedict, Living in Community, Monastic Life, Podcast Leave a Comment

Want to be the first to hear every new episode? Click here to sign up for email notifications! In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Wilkin Gibart, a member of Sunday Assembly, to explore her experience as a Benedictine Sojourner – living among the sisters and working with them for half a year! Journey with us as Sarah shares how she learned of the Benedictine Sojourner experience, what she gained, and how it helped her grow as she stepped into the next phase of her life. If you’re interested in learning more about the sisters’ community and upcoming experiences, …

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How Did You Become a Sister?, Ft. Sister Denise West

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCommunity of Benedict, Monastic Life, Myth busting, Podcast, Rule of Benedict, Women Exploring Community 6 Comments

Want to be the first to hear every new episode? Click here to sign up for email notifications! How do you imagine one becomes a monk? Is it something you plan or something you discover? Do you have to be religious your whole life before joining a monastery? Truth be told, there is no one answer. Our own sister’s community at Holy Wisdom Monastery have an array of unique stories that led them to their lives here in Middleton. In this episode, we sit with Sister Denise West and listen to her journey from a non-secular home in Tennessee to …

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‘Holy Week: Origins and Traditions,’ The Holy Wisdom Podcast

Holy Wisdom MonasteryMonastic Life, Podcast, Prayer & Worship, Sunday Assembly Leave a Comment

Want to be the first to hear every new episode? Click here to sign up for email notifications! This month, Sister Lynne Smith and Lynn Lemberger return to talk all about Holy Week. Lynn gives us an overview of the history, including a first-hand account from a woman’s travel journal of Roman celebrations. Learn why Palm Sunday is named after palms, and the significance of this week leading up to Easter. Meanwhile, Sister Lynne shares the traditions we normally hold throughout this week. Maybe you can bring some of these celebrations to life in your own home! Where to Listen? …

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‘Becoming Ecumenical: The New Spirit of Vatican II,’ The Holy Wisdom Podcast

Holy Wisdom MonasteryBuilding Community, Hospitality, Interfaith Relations, Living in Community, Looking Back, Monastic Life, Podcast, Rule of Benedict Leave a Comment

Want to be the first to hear every new episode? Click here to sign up for email notifications! In this continuation of Ep. 1, Becoming Ecumenical: Bringing Christians Together, we sit down once more with Sister Mary David Walgenbach and Sister Joanne Kollasch. Starting in 1966, the sisters take us along the hurdles and fundamental moments of growth into an ecumenical community throughout the 60’s, 70’s, and Vatican II. From welcoming retreat groups for many different Christian denominations to hosting the Dalai Lama, the sisters have embraced the hospitality of St. Benedict, calling it “the everyday path to God that …

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‘Becoming Ecumenical: Bringing Christians Together,’ The Holy Wisdom Podcast

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCommunity of Benedict, Living in Community, Monastic Life, Podcast 1 Comment

Ecumenism is defined as “the principle or aim of promoting unity among the world’s Christian Churches.” Led by this strive for unity, Holy Wisdom Monastery has long been welcoming people of a variety of denominations and religions. Therefore, it made sense to sit down for a deeper look with the women who have led us here. Thus, this first episode of The Holy Wisdom Podcast features Sister Mary David Walgenbach and Sister Joanne Kollasch. They begin by sharing their early memories of meeting people from other denominations. Then, they regale some of the early stories that led to the monastery …