MADISON — The Diocese of Madison was approached by a local reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal regarding a story about Holy Wisdom Monastery in Middleton, which was published on February 26. In order to clarify some of the issues raised by the article, the diocesan Office of Communications has shared the entirety of the diocese’s answers on the diocesan Web site at www.madisondiocese.org
The diocesan statement notes that in 2006 a non-Catholic ecumenical community was started at Holy Wisdom Monastery and it adds, “In all charity, Catholics must be reminded that to fulfill their obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, they must attend a Catholic Mass validly offered through the ordained Catholic priesthood. Holy Wisdom Monastery does not offer such a Catholic Mass as part of their worship service.”
The statement says, “Since Holy Wisdom Monastery is an ecumenical monastery without juridical status in the Roman Catholic Church, it should be clear that neither the liturgy, teaching, or governance at Holy Wisdom Monastery is part of the Catholic Church.”