Monastery

By Cara Buckley – New York Times The prairie sisters of Wisconsin would never call themselves renegades. Not in their decision to open their Roman Catholic community to Protestants. And not in their decades-long work restoring 170 acres around their monastery to ecological health, transforming lawns and farm fields into thriving oak savanna and native prairie that is riotous with wildflowers and grasses, insects, rabbits and birds. The sisters of Holy Wisdom Monastery outside Madison, Wisc., say these actions fulfill their highest calling: to welcome all people and care for the Earth as a sacred place. The sisters have won…

Francesca Pica – Wisconsin State Journal – Just off Highway M in Middleton is a hidden place, sheltered by dense trees and blanketed with grasses. Out of sight, though, doesn’t mean off-limits. On the contrary, the Benedictine sisters who run Holy Wisdom Monastery invite visitors and hope it’s a welcoming place for all, worshipers and the general public alike. The spacious, white-walled monastery offers free water and coffee, a log to request prayers during the daily service, and volunteers eager to assist. Outside, the sisters, who live in the monastery and lead the group, invite visitors to wind their way…