Bench overlooking Lake Mendota and downtown Madison. Photo of newsletter header by Martine Debaisieux.
Become a fan of Benedictine Women of Madison on Facebook.
For a complete listing of all retreats and events open to the public at Holy Wisdom Monastery, please click here.
Prayer/Worship
For more information about prayer and worship contact Lynn at
llemberger@benedictinewomen.org or 608-836-1631, ext. 138.
Monastic Community
Prayer ScheduleAll are welcome to pray in the monastery each day at morning, midday and evening, according to the monastic pattern of worship using hymns, psalms, scripture, and prayer. Click here for the prayer schedule.
Sunday Worship
Join our Sunday Assembly at
9 a.m. each Sunday in the Assembly Room at Holy Wisdom Monastery. Our liturgy is ecumenical and all are welcome. Centering Prayer
(Silent Meditation)
A group of Sunday Assembly members and Oblates hold Centering Prayer gatherings on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 7 p.m. in the Community of Benedict room (lower level) of the retreat and guest house. All are welcome.
Taizé Prayer
A rich contrast of silence and song held monthly October-May
at 7:30 p.m.
2010: Jan. 22 | Feb. 26
March 26 | April 23 | May 28Lent
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2010. Distribution of ashes at Midday Prayer at 11:45 a.m. in the Oratory and at our Evening Service at 7 p.m. in the Assembly Room. All are welcome.
Lenten Day of Reflection will be held on March 6, 2010, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. All are welcome to attend. Please contact Lynn Lemberger for more information at llemberger@benedictineowmen.org or 608-836-1631 ext. 138.
Lenten Reconciliation Service and Evening Prayer will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Oratory, on March 17, 2010. All are welcome to attend.
Retreats
Click here for latest retreat schedule. For more information on retreats, please contact Jerrianne at jbland@benedictinewomen.org or 608-836-1631 ext. 158.
Retreats sponsored by Benedictine Women of Madison
February 25-27
Hospitality: Loving from the Inside Out
Hospitality practiced in the Benedictine tradition can open us up to loving ourselves and others with clear heart and mind.
March 10-14
Monastic Wisdom for Everyday Life
Join other seekers for reflection on the richness of The Rule of Benedict and the instruction it provides for living a full and balanced life.
April 1-4
Holy Week at the Monastery
In the quiet of Holy Wisdom Monastery, retreatants will be invited to let the powerful liturgies of this holiest week of the Church year come alive.
Exploring Community Retreats and Events sponsored by Benedictine Women of Madison
March 26-28
Exploring Community: Benedictine Life (for single women 20-50)
A retreat for single women who desire to explore religious life in a Benedictine community.
June 14-July 3 or July 19-31
Volunteer in Community (for single women 20-50)
You will work on the prairie and monastery grounds, share in common meals, explore Benedictine spirituality and deepen your relationship with God. For more information on the Volunteer in Community program, please contact Lynne Smith, OSB, at lwsmith@benedictinewomen.org or 608-836-1631 ext. 198.
Benedictine Life Foundation Events
A version of Joan Chittister's talk from the Milestones on the Journey event on November 14, 2009, is available in printed form and on DVD. You can order the book, In the Heart of the Temple, for $14.95 from the BenetVision website (check out the chapter entitled "Wholeness"), or call the BenetVision office at (814) 459-5994 to order a copy of the DVD for $20.00.
February 12 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm
Art Exhibit Reception
Attend our first art exhibit in the new monastery featuring the wildlife paintings of Jonathan Wilde and poems by Michael E. Belongie, Feb. 12 - March 20. For more information about this exhibit and reception, please call 608-836-1631 ext. 149. You can also download a flier for the reception by clicking here.
April 6 (6 pm) or April 8 (1 pm)
Planned Giving Seminars
Attend one of these seminars to help identify the best planned giving options for you. For more information on these seminars, please contact Betsy Liotus at bliotus@benedictinewomen.org or 608-836-1631 ext. 120.
Other retreats and events held at Holy Wisdom Monastery
February 20, 27, and March 6, 13
Big Questions
This seminar offers a unique opportunity to engage life's big questions. It focuses on the life and teachings of Jesus and incorporates dialogue and the insights of Jungian depth psychology complemented by art, sculpture, dance, journaling and insights from other spiritual traditions. Contact Chuck at cdpfeifer@tds.net or 608-251-3125 for more information or to register.
Resources
Good Search
Help us raise funds by using Good Search when you search on the Internet. Just go to www.goodsearch.com, enter Benedictine Women of Madison under Who Do You Goodsearch For, then type in your search information.
Nature Notes
Read the latest Nature Notes, written by Greg Armstrong, board member at the Benedictine Life Foundation.
|
|
|
|
Have you noticed that during the last year or so the adjective emerging has come into frequent use in the media? We've been hearing about emerging technologies as we move toward the sustainable use of energy resources. The H1N1 virus has us focused on emerging infectious diseases. Our interaction with the global economy takes into account emerging markets. In a recent issue of this newsletter, Sr. Lynne summarized a seminar she attended titled: The Emerging Church. To review this article from the June 2009 edition of Benedictine Bridge, click here.
The word emerging suggests dynamic forces are in motion. Change is in the air. With this dynamic spirit in mind, we chose to focus this issue of Benedictine Bridge on the question: What is emerging at the new Holy Wisdom Monastery?
|
What is Emerging at
Holy Wisdom Monastery?
By: Lynne Smith, OSB, director of membership
The turn of a new year brings the hope of new beginnings and the anticipation of new possibilities. St. Peter exhorts the Christians in Asia Minor to be ready always to provide a defense for the hope they have (I Peter 3:15). Our reason for hope is the new life we have in Jesus Christ. Our community of Benedictine women is experiencing this hope in a number of areas where we see new life emerging.
Membership
-
Two women are discerning a call to the monastic community and several other women have expressed interest in learning more about what it would mean to join.
-
Our membership work is enhanced with the addition of Ann Moyer to the department. Ann worked in the retreat and conference center here in the 1980s and later at St. Bede Monastery in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She brings knowledge of Benedictine values and many skills for our outreach work. She attends Lake Edge United Church of Christ in Madison.
-
This year we will offer three Exploring Community: Benedictine Life vocation retreats for single women to experience the rhythm of life in our Benedictine community. The retreat dates are March 26-28, July 23-25 and December 3-5, 2010.
-
We are anticipating another good response to our Volunteer in Community program this coming summer. You can help us by referring single women between 20-50 years of age to our website for more information about this eco-spirituality experience.
Benedictine retreats
-
Jerrianne Bland is our new full-time director of Benedictine retreats. She began work at the monastery with women exploring community life. An oblate of the class of 2006, she is enthusiastic about offering spiritual guidance, providing Benedictine spirituality input for retreat groups and leading Benedictine retreats. You can find her in the former prioress's office in the Retreat and Guest House. This year we will offer Monastic Wisdom for Everyday Life from March 10-14, a retreat based on the Benedictine rhythm of prayer, study, work and leisure. It will provide retreatants with an experience of the major principles of the Rule of Benedict. She is a long-time member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison.
-
The new biennial Benedictine Retreat, September 17-19, will feature James Finley as presenter on Little Things that Fill the Whole World: Gospel Metaphors of Spiritual Awakening. It promises to be an enriching retreat.
Sunday Assembly
-
The expansive worship space in the monastery engages everyone who comes for worship. Each Sunday we have new visitors at our ecumenical Eucharist and 14 households have joined Sunday Assembly since we returned to worship in the monastery, including six families with children. Many other visitors are becoming regulars at Sunday Assembly.
-
The children's ministry is growing. It is now offered twice a month and more families with young children are attending Sunday Assembly.
Oblates
- The retreats and activities of the oblate community are creative and stimulating. The oblate formation circle will refine and begin implementing a proposal for on-going formation within the oblate community with a focus on monastic mindfulness. Editor's Note: Elsewhere in this newsletter you can read oblate candidate Claudia Porter's reflection on what is emerging among the oblate candidates.
New monastery building
-
The beauty and "green" features of the new monastery have generated a great deal of interest. Many requests for tours and space for meetings and retreats continue. This year we plan to set up special days each month for tours. Arrangements for a tour can be made with Mike, mikesb@benedictinewomen.org or 608-836-1631, ext. 124. A suggested $5 donation is recommended for each person taking a tour. -
Groups looking for meeting space can utilize the monastery building. The monastery usage committee has established guidelines for the use of the new monastery to help guests self-select space that meets their needs and respects the contemplative nature of the monastery. Contact Debby, ddelciello@benedictinewomen.org or 608-831-9303 for more information. To download the Holy Wisdom Monastery space usage guidelines, please click here.
After attending the emerging church conference in Albuquerque last spring, I can see many connections between what is emerging here at the monastery and what is emerging in other parts of the church. I hope you will visit us soon to experience the excitement for yourself. [printer friendly version]
Debby Del Ciello, Director of Guest Services, is among the new, emerging staff at Holy Wisdom Monastery. Debby brings a background of Roman Catholic parish ministry and has completed graduate work in religious studies at Edgewood College and Catholic Theological Union. Contact her at ddelciello@benedictinewomen.org or 608-831-9303 for information about hosting events and meetings at the Monastery.
|
Emerging Gifts and Nesting Dolls
By: Claudi Siehr Porter
Oblate candidate 2010, Greendale, Wisconsin
"Gift" -- for
me the word continues to bring visions of gaily wrapped packages in colorful
paper with great big bows. "Emerging gifts," on the other hand, present an
image of those boldly painted European folk-art nesting dolls. These, unlike
wrapped gifts, are not torn into with excitement and anticipation; rather they
are slowly and carefully unpacked and savored. There is a certain fascination,
even mystery, as each doll is discovered hidden inside another. more...
|
The Religious Challenges of Today --
The Benedictine Answer
By: Anne Edwardson
Oblate of Holy Wisdom Monastery, Madison, Wisconsin 250 Oblates from 6 continents and 32 countries gathered in Rome, Italy at the invitation of Pope Benedict XVI for the Second Oblate World Congress. Abbot Primate Nokter Wolf, the symbol of unity among Benedictine communities worldwide, in addressing the assembly suggested that these are special, difficult times of crisis; both in economies and in security and it is hoped that Benedictine Oblates may help respond to these challenges. What was the Benedictine Oblate answer? Contemplation and dialogue.... The Second Oblate World Congress was introduced with a Russian icon, Christ the Light of the World and the comment, "Deep within the human heart is a desire to see the face of God and live." Thus began a graced time of personal transfiguration. more...
Anne Edwardson at the Salesianum, southwest of Rome, during her travels for the Second Oblate World Congress in 2009. |
Reading Resource on
the Emerging Church
By: Nancy Sandleback, collections manager
Last year, Sister Lynne Smith
attended a conference on the emerging church in Albuquerque, NM.
She wrote an article for Benedictine
Bridge on what impressed her about the conference and the speakers. I was
asked to follow up on her article with possible reading resources on the topic
of the emerging church. Since the four speakers Sister Lynne mentioned in her
article--Phyllis Tickle, Brian McLaren, Father Richard Rohr, OFM, and Shane
Claiborne--are very active in the emerging church movement and have written some
excellent books on the topic, I decided to focus on their works. more... |
Thank you from
Benedictine Life Foundation
Thank you to all who participated in our goal to meet the
first of two $100,000 matching opportunities by year end. Final figures
are still being reconciled, but at this time it looks like we exceeded this
goal by more than $10,000! Your amazing generosity and extraordinary
commitment to the work of the monastery is gratifying beyond words. Stay tuned
for regular updates as we focus our 2010 fundraising efforts on meeting the
second $100,000 match as well.
With every blessing for the New Year,
Mary David Walgenbach, OSB, Prioress, Benedictine Women of Madison
| |
|
