The Holy Wisdom Podcast

Rajai Atalla grew up immersed in what it truly means to be ecumenical. He was born in Jerusalem, a spiritual city important to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. In this podcast, he describes how the prominent religions affected the culture and how his grandmother influenced his relationship with the divine.

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This episode, we sit down with Sarah Wilkin-Gibart, a member of Sunday Assembly, and talk with her about her experience as a Benedictine Sojourner - living among the sisters and working with them for 6 months. In this episode, Sarah shares with us how she learned about the Sojourner experience, what she gained, and how it helped her grow as she stepped into the next parts of her life.

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Sister Denise West of Holy Wisdom Monastery never planned to become a monk - but life led her to Madison nonetheless. In this episode, we listen to Sister Denise' personal story of how she went from growing up in a non-secular home in Tennessee, to becoming a teacher in New York, and finally falling in love with our monastery in Middleton, WI.

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What does it truly mean to "care for the earth"? We say it a lot at Holy Wisdom Monastery, but in this episode, we take a deeper look at what that means with two leaders of our natural restoration efforts - retired Land Manager, Greg Armstrong and his successor, Amy Alstad, PhD.

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Returning to the podcast this week, our guests are Sister Lynne Smith and Lynn Lemberger, talking about the origins and traditions of Holy Week. Tune it to learn more about this week leading up to Easter and its significance in the liturgical calendar.

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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 St. Benedict asks of people coming to the monastery."

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Where can pastors and clergy leaders go for spiritual renewal and support? Being a leader in a faith tradition isn't easy, and it can sometimes be difficult to find peers with the same calling. This need for connection and community naturally led to the formation of one of our newest organizations: Ecumenical Center for Clergy Spiritual Renewal (ECCSR).

Join us in this inspiring dive into the creation and meaning of the ECCSR experience with co-directors Reverend Nancy Enderle and Reverend Jerry Buss.

December summons feelings of tradition and familiarity for many of us. In some faiths, this includes the preparation for Christmas known as Advent, and the singing of the O Antiphons.

In this episode, we have Sister Lynne Smith and Holy Wisdom Monastery's own Director of Worship and Music, Lynn Lemberger, join us to talk about these traditions and how we might be able to honor their meanings in our own lives.

Ecumenism is defined as "the principle or aim of promoting unity among the world's Christian Churches." Our Prioress describes it as "respecting the spirit of God within each of the variety of ways people express their love of Christ in their heart; and learning what it means for them."

In our first episode, we go back to the beginnings, learning about Sister Joanne Kollasch and Sister Mary David Walgenbach's former experiences with other Christian denominations, along with how that has influenced the course of Holy Wisdom Monastery.

What is The Holy Wisdom Podcast about? Here we have a short introduction with your host, Brooke Moriarty, on where we are coming from and what you can expect from this podcast.