FLASHBACK FRIDAY! (1985) Sister Mary Rose Hammerling (center), pictured with Sisters Joanne and Mary David, was the president of the Federation of St. Gertrude for 9 years and also prioress of St. Benedict Monastery in Winnipeg, Canada. She was the first person to hear the sisters’ dream of becoming an ecumenical community. She befriended the sisters and nurtured their dream, which successive Federation presidents have also done. The Sisters of St. Benedict joined the Federation in the 1940s and in 2008 Holy Wisdom Monastery became an affiliate member, a new category made in order for our ecumenical community to remain a member.

A few more pictures from last night's event with Robin Wall Kimmerer. The Friends of Wisdom Prairie at Holy Wisdom Monastery thank our co-sponsor, the Indigenous Arts & Sciences Earth Partnership of UW-Madison for their support and generosity in helping make this event possible and our other environmental partners: Dane County Parks International Crane Foundation Aldo Leopold Foundation Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy The Prairie Enthusiasts - Empire-Sauk Chapter Most of all, we want to thank all of you who attended this event. It's great to see so many people share our passion for caring for the earth!

It was an honor and pleasure having Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass, speak to us this evening. We truly enjoyed learning about the indigenous people’s spirituality and its relationship to caring for the earth. A few memorable pictures...

Heavy rains are causing issues for local lakes. A great article featuring Clean Lakes Alliance with some actionable tips for helping to improve water quality this summer and in the future! https://www.channel3000.com/news/clean-lakes-alliance-rain-causing-problems-for-lake-mendota-and-monona/741592438

FLASHBACK FRIDAY! The sisters hired Father Philip Kaufman in 1970 as the theological consultant. One of his first projects was adapting the Liturgy of the Hours books to include inclusive language. Father Kaufman presided at The International Symposium, Benedict and Scholastica: Then and Now at St. Benedict Center in 1980. The symposium commemorated the 1500th anniversary of the birth of St. Benedict of Nursia. Pictured are Sister Mary David Walgenbach and Father Philip Kaufman. 1980

From the birds to the bees and new life in the prairie, spring brings many exciting changes in the great outdoors. Read about May phenology here: http://benedictinewomen.org/blog/may-phenology/

Flashback Friday...1998 (and today)... The Benedictine Sisters at Holy Wisdom Monastery, while always small in numbers, have accomplished much on the land with the help of volunteers, staff and professionals. This aerial shot (top picture) from 1998 shows the land before most of the prairies were planted. Highway M can be seen on the left, the current Retreat and Guest House in the middle and the now decommissioned Benedict House near the top right of the photo. The bottom picture was taken in 2014 after the installation of more than 400 solar roof panels. Over the 65 years, the sisters planted trees, created waterways, dredged Lost Lake, planted 126 acres of prairie, built an eco-friendly monastery and cleared overgrown woods with horses to create an oak savanna. They currently maintain 190 acres of native landscape at Holy Wisdom Monastery and at the nearby North Mendota Wildlife Area.

Quote of the Day... “Benedictine spirituality sees the care of the earth and the integration of prayer and work, body and soul, as essential parts of the journey to wholeness that answers the emptiness in each of us.” — Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages, July 2009.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY - 1979! More than 500 people worshiped with the Dahli Lama at St. Benedict Center on September 16, 1979. The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, the 14th Dahli Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, visited the Madison area and attracted Buddhists from all over the Midwest for a two hour ceremony. This was his first visit to North America and his message was one of love and compassion. In the article accompanying the photo shown here, George Hesselberg of the Wisconsin State Journal explains, “For those who embrace Buddhism as a religion, a chance to worship with the Dahli Lama and listen to his philosophical discourse is a chance of a lifetime.” The organizers of the event wrote this: We wish to thank the staff of the St. Benedict Center for their ecumenical flexibility and cooperation, which have contributed so greatly to the realization of this auspicious event. Wisconsin State Journal photo by Joseph W Jackson III

Today we celebrate Earth Day. While this may seem like a recent holiday, it's root go back to 1970 when U.S. Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson conceptualized the day after witnessing the massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA in 1969. The sisters take great pride in the fact that part of the mission of Holy Wisdom Monastery is deeply rooted in caring for the earth. While it may seem like a daunting task to positively impact the environment on a local level, our efforts are paying off. Our impact can be seen in a number of ways from improved water quality on the north shore of Lake Mendota to creating a habitat for the recently discovered endangered, Rusty-patched Bumble Bee in Wisdom Prairie. If you are passionate about preservation, we invite you to learn more about our local effort to protect wildlife and the environment via the Friends of Wisdom Prairie. Happy Earth Day! http://benedictinewomen.org/environment/friends-of-wisdom-prairie/

Holy Wisdom Monastery's mission to care for the earth will be celebrated on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 9:00 am at an Earth Day worship service. We welcome old friends and new!

FLASHBACK FRIDAY—1966! Today's picture is an important part of our history. The original resolution sent to Bishop William O’Connor regarding the creation of an ecumenical Retreat and Conference Center at St. Benedict Center. The resolution was signed by religious leaders in the Madison area and marked the beginning of a new era for Holy Wisdom Monastery.