EARTHKEEPING NEWS A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY Volume Thirteen, Number Five October 2004 Benedictines Practice Hospitality For Creation by Kathi Koegle, Director of Community Relations for Benedictine Women of Madison, Wisconsin, and editor of Benedictine Bridge, a publication for spiritual seekers When the Sisters of Saint Benedict first put down roots near Madison, Wisconsin in 1953, they purchased a nearly treeless 40-acre parcel of land. A few years after settling down and building a school for girls, they bought an additional 90 acres. Today, the Saint Benedict Center grounds contain a restored 10,000-year-old glacial lake, remnants of an effigy mound, wooded nature trails, a new detention basin that controls runoff, native upland prairie and oak savanna. Reverence for creation, which includes all of life — humans, animals, plants, air and water — is a core value of all Benedictines. This particular Benedictine community also has a revered history of ecumenical involvement. They welcome people of all faith traditions to come to Saint Benedict Center for prayer, work, study and leisure. The sisters' unique vision of Christian unity resulted in the creation of Benedictine Women of Madison, North America's first inclusive Christian monastic community. The community's core vision is to weave prayer, hospitality and care of the earth into a shared way of life. Reclaiming and preserving the beauty of creation is central to life together. In their environmental restoration work, the sisters have formed partnerships among more than 50 area organizations and hundreds of volunteers of all ages, including college environmental interns, Christian youth groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and area civic organizations. Their efforts improve water quality for the Lake Mendota Priority Watershed, protect endangered ecosystems and offer a model of environmental consciousness for the broader community. Future plans include: finding new ways to invite people to experience the gifts of creation; making the experience accessible to all; encouraging restoration of adjacent parcels; serving as a catalyst and seed source for others doing environmental restoration work, whether as part of their yard at home or a major restoration effort. To learn more about the sisters' environmental restoration work, visit www.sbcenter.org; or request our free video Partnering with the Land. Contact Nancy Schlimgen, our naturalist, at 608-836-1631, ext. 157 or nschlimgen@sbcenter.org. Home     Table of Contents