Motherhouse Tour

Background:

Like many Franciscan communities, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross have a great care for the natural world. As the environmental movement has grown and evolved, the Sisters have continuously assessed the role they can play in supporting this work. When the time came for the Sisters to create a new Motherhouse in 2006, they sought to make it as sustainable as possible. Now, the building and grounds serve as a model of sustainability, allowing the community to minimize their environmental impact and serve as a model for others.

For this first portion of our event, we will be taking a tour of the Motherhouse to learn more about the ways this community promotes environmental sustainability. We will visit their pollinator gardens, hear about the building's efficient systems, see their solar panel array, and more.

Event Logistics:

We will meet at the Motherhouse at 9:45 AM to begin our tour of the grounds and Motherhouse. This will last until 10:45. At that point, we will depart for the Sisters' Woods Conservancy, which is approximately 15 minutes east of the Motherhouse. Please plan on providing your own transportation if you would like to join the visit to the Conservancy.

Sisters' Woods Conservancy Tour

Background:

This year, the Sisters partnered with the Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust to place a conservation easement on a forested property that has been owned and managed by their community for over 100 years. This property is adjacent to the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, and it has a rich natural and cultural history.

In 1871, when the Shrine was a simple chapel surrounded by forest, the Great Peshtigo Fire raged across Northeast Wisconsin. It is believed that the chapel and surrounding land (including the now-protected Sisters' Woods Conservancy) remained untouched by the fire, protecting Sr. Adele Brise and the community members who sheltered with her at the chapel. When the Sisters of St. Francis began their ministry at this site, these woods continued to serve as a natural sanctuary for the Sisters and those they served.

Even when the Sisters' moved away from the Shrine, they continued to manage this forest. In recent years, they have worked with foresters and researchers to assess the ecological value of the land. These studies have noted that, due to the relative lack of disturbance on the property, the forest is home to a uniquely biodiverse community of plants, animals, and fungi. Through the conservation easement, this biodiversity will be protected forever.

Event Logistics:

We will meet at the Shrine at 11:00, and from there we will walk to the Sisters' Woods Conservancy. We will set a designated meeting area so that you can find our group if you are only joining for this portion of the event. This will be shared with all registered participants prior to the event.

We will plan to spend about 1 hour in the woods. At the end, we will have an optional time for prayer and reflection with St. Francis's Canticle of Creation.

Canticle of Creation Reflections

At the end of our time in the woods, we will have an optional prayer component for anyone who would like to join. We will be reading St. Francis's Canticle of Creation, with accompanying scriptural and scientific reflections. Drawing inspiration from Laudato Si (Pope Francis's encyclical on ecological concerns), this will be an opportunity to reflect on Franciscan traditions of conservation and modern environmental issues.

All are invited to join, regardless of your religious beliefs. If you would not wish to join, you will be free to continue appreciating the woods in your own way at this time.