Holy Wisdom Monastery offers you space to breathe and resources to grow. On over 100 acres of beautiful prairie and wetlands, you can experience a way of life that expresses spirituality through care for humankind and for the earth.

We invite you to take time away on a personal retreat for a day, an overnight, a weekend or longer. You have the flexibility to design your retreat, which may include joining others in prayer, sharing meals, browsing the library or walking the nature trails.

Group retreats are another opportunity for renewal and spiritual exploration. Your group can choose from several retreats scheduled throughout the year on various topics. A member of the spirituality team can also work with you to create a unique retreat fitting the needs of your group. This is an excellent opportunity to strengthen bonds between group members.

Topics include:

- Bridges to Contemplative Living
- Quest for Balance
- Everyday Path to God
- Breathing Space
- Ecospirituality in Action
- Invitation to Community
- Advent & Lenten Lunches

A hermitage retreat is perfect for those needing a complete getaway. Whether a guest is trying to complete a personal project or seeking a deeper connection with God, hermitages cultivate renewal by cradling guests in deep silence and calm.

Spiritual guidance is an opportunity for individuals to address questions of faith with an experienced guide. Distinct from counseling, the goal of spiritual guidance is not to solve life’s problems, but rather to increase awareness of how God is already active in an individual’s life.

At the monastery, trained spiritual guides provide private and confidential spiritual guidance by appointment. You can request spiritual guidance in regular ongoing sessions, as part of a personal retreat, or as a single meeting.

Benedictine life is rooted in the rhythm of daily prayer. You are invited to join Liturgy of the Hours each morning, noon and evening for a public expression of the Benedictine call to seek God in community. The heart of this prayer is the sung and recited psalms along with scripture readings and times of silence. Centering prayer is another opportunity to experience common prayer through silent meditation and to discover renewal by resting in God.

Each Sunday, people are welcome to join Benedictine Women of Madison to celebrate Eucharist around a common table. With prayers of thanksgiving and praise, we respond to Jesus’ invitation, “Do this in memory of me.”

All are welcome at Holy Wisdom Monastery. By taking time away from daily routine, you may find clearer understanding of yourself and of God’s presence in your life. Listen with the ear of your heart. Be open. Find your center and return to your life with more balance, focus and serenity.