As we at Prairiewoods focus on shifting our attention from the pandemic to #PanDeepening, we are looking at meditations, readings and activities that help us go deeper and get more centered within ourselves and in our God. In today’s PanDeepening, let’s slow down, quiet our minds and listen to the words of a gifted Celtic…
DetailsLike many of you, I have been struggling with my own fear and anxiety as this pandemic continues to unfold. As the director of Prairiewoods, I hope to make the best decisions to care for the people we serve and for the people who work here—aware that lives and livelihoods may hang in the balance.…
DetailsAs we arise on the morning of Saint Patrick’s Day, we are blessed with a beautiful Celtic Christian protection prayer known as The Deer’s Cry or Saint Patrick’s Breastplate prayer. This prayer is often sung and is a tune we can hum to ourselves throughout the day and always, reminding us that Christ is with…
DetailsJust below my window a rangale of deer at dawn fold into their prayer mats of snow. I am like the yearling at the edge, restless, unable to center myself, wandering in and out of the creek, waiting for the rest of the world to wake up. An hour later, they are still sitting on…
DetailsAs our lives and commitments shift over time, we find ourselves with time or interest to give to new and varied pursuits. If you find yourself with time to give back, we invite you to consider volunteering at Prairiewoods. We are always looking for dedicated people interested in giving back to their community! Here are…
DetailsPrairiewoods foundress Betty Daugherty, FSPA, passed away in December. The ripples of her loss will be felt for many years to come. For those who missed it, here is her full obituary … Sister Betty Daugherty, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 88, died on Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, at Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice of…
DetailsEvery story has a beginning, even though there may be no exact moment we can point to and say, “Here is when the first seed was planted. This is where the story began.” This is true of Prairiewoods’ story. The beginning of Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center doesn’t rest in one specific moment in time; our…
DetailsWhat happens as the New Year 2020 emerges from the compost of the old? Perhaps we look forward with such anticipation because we are crossing a threshold. It is a door opening, and if we cross through, we may never return again. Old habits, old ways of thinking, of imagining and of being begin to…
Details“Life is this simple: we are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and the divine is shining through it all the time. This is not just a nice story or fable, it is true. This is something we are not able to see; but if we abandon ourselves to Him, forget ourselves, we…
DetailsThis October we brought a taste of Celtic spirituality to our Prairiewoods calendar. Angie Pierce Jennings and I invited anyone who wished to join us in delving into the spirit of two writers: John Philip Newell and John O’Donohue, both magical with words and both steeped in the inheritance received from their Celtic ancestors. In…
DetailsThere’s a reason that we speak of love, life, loss, death and other profound experiences in poetic verse. Poetry captures the very essence of our most awe-inspiring, most devastating and most intense feelings with images from the natural world. Poets revel in employing the metaphors of Earth’s birthing, abundance, dying and rebirthing to call us to…
DetailsField of Monarchs After Mary Oliver Come with me into the field of monarchs, where all day their long thin legs hang on swaying flowers Come marvel at the edging on their wings, delicate as Tiffany glass, dots of white so precise they could be painted and the orange wings glowing in the sun like…
DetailsThe Prairiewoods Holiday Bazaar is just a few weeks away. Join us Saturday, Nov. 16, from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. in the Prairiewoods Center for a day of shopping and holiday cheer! Vendors include the Prairiewoods Knitters & Stitchers, Bound to Write journals, Crafts by K & K, Dori Patrick Art, International Pastries Revisited, Angela Tornabane…
DetailsThis morning I’m walking in the prairie just beyond the gardens, when suddenly, amazingly, around the bend I stumble into a village of monarchs. Hundreds of them, everywhere in this field of white flowers just opening—and you get the sense this is a Grand Opening—a big party, an orgy, monarchs fluttering from flower to flower,…
DetailsTomorrow, Oct. 4, will mark a significant step in the story of Prairiewoods, when most of these 70 acres of woods and prairie will be placed in a conservation easement with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. Through the signing of this easement, the land will be forever protected from future development. This is a guarantee…
DetailsPrairiewoods is excited to invite area green thumb seniors to come soak up the sun in our new Seniors in the Sun volunteer program! In teams of two or three, we invite you to come on a regular rotation to tend to our Guest House Flower Garden, the Green Prairie Garden for vegetables or the…
DetailsIn the United States, our favorite hobby is gardening, followed closely by studying our genealogy (according to ABC News and Reference.com). We swab our cheek, mail it to an ancestry company and wait weeks for information on the generations that came before us. We find solace in knowing where we come from; it tells us…
DetailsPrairiewoods values its collaborative partnerships with other nonprofits, churches and civic organizations, and local city and county governmental offices. One such partnership has brought us much joy and bountiful harvests in the last few years! Four years ago, when Pope Francis’ eco-encyclical Laudato Si’ was published, we invited Earth-loving friends to come to Prairiewoods to…
DetailsPrairiewoods recently completed our eleventh annual year-long retreat called Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life (SEEL). On the closing day in May, participants were invited to reflect and write about their experiences with God through SEEL. Here is the loving, awe-filled prayer from one participant: O Creator of the majestic universe! Out of nothing you loved…
DetailsArea student Mitchell Janechek completed his Eagle Scout project at Prairiewoods this spring. He rebuilt four raised beds in the Green Prairie Garden, our 1,400-square-foot vegetable garden. Thanks to the hard work put in by Mitchell and his team, the garden will continue to provide about 2,000 pounds of produce each year! About two-thirds of…
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