Our
Philosophy
In 1993, we, the Sisters at the Monastery of
St. Gertrude, wrote a philosophy of land use that expresses our close
connection to this land and our belief that all creation is a gift
and, is therefore, to be used wisely and for the common good. We
strive to live a sustainable lifestyle and to manage our corporate
ministries in a manner that creates minimal impact.
We steward over 1,000 acres of mixed forest and
wildlands and interact with another 400 acres through organic gardens,
fruit orchards and herb gardens; farming and grazing land; flower
gardens and lawn. We also grow and preserve food at home, recycle and
compost.
We sell Fair Trade items in our Monastery Book
& Gift Shop.
A number of Monastery Industries products, such
as our candles, are made with recycled materials.
We also support local artisans, small
businesses, a local farmer's market and other individuals, businesses
and organizations that are compatible with our philosophy including:
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Ashbury Images
Ashbury Images rebuilds lives one t-shirt and sweatshirt at a
time by providing paid employment, job training, and supportive
services to at-risk youth recovering from poverty, substance abuse
and homelessness. Ashbury Images is part of New Door Ventures (www.newdoor.org),
a youth development social enterprise. Ashbury Images' hangtags
are affixed to the collar tag of each
t-shirt and sweatshirt sold
in the Monastery Book & Gift Shop. These hangtags are a powerful
way of showing our commitment to community action.
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Equal Exchange
Equal Exchange's mission is to build long-term trade
partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound,
to foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and
consumers and to demonstrate, through our success, the
contribution of worker co-operatives and Fair Trade to a more
equitable, democratic and sustainable world.
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Listen for Joy
Melanie Weidner is a Quaker Artist and Spiritual Coach /
Spiritual Director whose contagious love for image, metaphor,
poetry, and spiritual exploration create joyful and transformative
openings for self-reflection. She engages wide audiences across
the country with experiences of art and spiritual refection, then
makes studio time to pray and create. The Benedictine Sisters of the Monastery of St.
Gertrude collaborated with Melanie on Passion of the Earth, an art installation located at Spirit
Center that provides a fresh telling of the Creation Story.
Reflection Cards and a
2-DVD Set documenting the history and process of making the
Passion of the Earth, some history of the monastery, teaching
segments and bloopers are available for purchase.
Please send your
questions or comments to
gsinformation@stgertrudes.org
For further assistance, please call the Monastery
Book & Gift Shop at 208-962-5022.
Don't see what you are
looking for?
We carry many items not available in our online shop.
Contact us
for more information.
