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The Bridge-Between
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A Night in
the life
(at The Bridge-Between Retreat Center)
Candles burn, flashlights flicker patterns on the farmhouse walls lighting our way. Power went out at 7:04. The computer stands by in a mode of sleep and the sump pump is silent. The Bridge is over troubled waters! The sky empties into already saturated fields. The water rages through the culvert into the wetlands. The Devils River is overflowing and the waters are rising in the basement. Neighborliness rose just as quickly. The plumber came with a replacement battery while neighbors lent us their generator. Between the torrential rains, the lighting of the skies matching Time Square and the rattling roar of the generator sent all the cats flying. We haven’t seen peek-a-boo yet she could be hairless by now!
Retreatants have closed their eyes long ago. It’s so dark we’ll never know for sure. Earlier in the day the farm animals alerted us to the potential storm. This night calls only for gratefulness for helping hands, gentle winds and roofs over our heads. 11:20 the power is on, all is safe. The coffee is set. To bed now to thank God for this day and ask for the means to purchase a generator. “Night, night God, please watch over all Creation as she creates an unsettled balance. It is we who are being asked to put balance into life each and everyday”.
Its morning the sun is out the birds are busy and even the rabbit is out enjoying a chew. We’ll check on the barn animals and the gardens later, the raised beds may have helped. Frogs, toads and worms gulp or may have been drowned we’ll wait and see. The thousands plus foot of garlic… well? Asparagus…. Who knows? What I do know is we are blessed and our hearts turn to those who need our prayer and support this day and in the days to come. Life is relative and all is related.
Caroline Sullivan
The Bridge-Between: A Place for Hospitality, Tranquility, Contemplation & Love
BY JOHN PRICE
I pulled
up to the long driveway with the small, colorful sign. "The Bridge-Between;
Dominican Spirituality Center; Llamas for Sale; Farm Fresh Eggs." I would find
out soon enough that I could leave ALL my baggage at the end of that driveway
and enter into a world of love virtually unmatched by any I
have yet
experienced.
Founded by Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Caroline Sullivan in 1987, The Bridge has offered a haven for guests and retreatants year-round. The central house, built in 1909, is heated mostly by a big cast iron stove in the center of the living room. When I enter the house, the first thing that greets me is the smell of delicious homemade food, much of it organic and largely vegetarian. Two pots of soup simmer on the stove. Sister Caroline or Diane Eparvier, the other full-time resident, greet me with a smile, a hug, and if I am really blessed, a kiss on the cheek.
Upstairs is the chapel, where twice a day people gather for contemplative prayer, a scriptural reading, some floating music of spirit wings. The grounds, bordered by The Devil's River and cross-checked with trails for walking or skiing, are punctuated by an 1890 barn--the Belgian Cathedral. An 1890 granary is a lodge where groups can stay for retreat, or individual retreatants can enjoy a quiet time in front of the fire as well. There are four hermitage quarters. Three of them are perfectly round rooms uniquely embedded in the old silo. Another, a tiny cottage is off near the elder trees at the edge of the river.
Llamas peer at visitors with a quiet but intense gaze. They'll come and check you out if they feel like it. They'll smell your breath to get to know you. If they like you and are so inclined, they'll breathe with you. And if they really like you, they'll let out a healthy burp! These llamas, being the good creatures raised at The Bridge, are not known to spit in your face. Flicka, the benevolent and ancient lady canine, Fearless, the wild-eyed cat, and The Duchess of Rags, the cat with style, keep good watch on the grounds around the house. Jacob the sheep seems to be the barnyard boss. Giant ducks, Jacob's attendants, strut and quack. The free-range chickens move from their roosts to the back field at will, but the hawks must be avoided.
You might meet other people there, too. Perhaps Nick, the farmhand or Kathy the able office manager, or other folks just there for the day or a longer retreat, are all potential smiles and warmth. I have been blessed to visit The Bridge-Between in all seasons. My first visit was over a year ago, when I sought arrangements for a "spiritual direction" retreat. Our encounter felt so good that I returned two weeks before Christmas in 2001 to spend six days in a round room in the silo. I would awake early, go into the granary to start the stove and fix some breakfast, return to my room to meditate, then go back to the granary for the rest of the morning to do my yoga, read, and relax. Preceding the midday and evening communal meals are the prayer sessions, and each day found me feeling deeper and deeper the love and Godliness of the place. Each afternoon I would walk the farmlands in rural Brown County where The Bridge is located.
Retreats can be as private as one wants. It is not uncommon for people to do extended silent retreats, with meals brought to their hermitages. If one wants company, great company is to be found around the table. I have rarely heard anyone ask, "What do you do for a living?" The acceptance is indescribable. And no two meals are ever the same. The unique cooking style is based on economy of use with maximum nutrition and flavor. Meals are truly international, with "recipes" coming from all continents blended to the taste of Sister Caroline or Diane, and are always really, really good.
As of the writing of this article, the property is undergoing an incredibly ambitious expansion. With all donated time and materials, the dining area is being expanded to host much larger groups, and the second floor chapel is being moved to a brand-new space with windows to allow a view of sunrise and sunset. The entire house is experiencing some sort of change, whether it be the new roof, two new bathrooms, carpeting, or appliances. The granary's wide plank floors will be refurbished and polished to a luster. This renovation is expected to be complete before the end of 2002, with everything set for the next fifteen years of peace and offering for The Bridge-Between.
The Bridge-Between is a retreat ministry of the Sinsinawa Dominicans. I have witnessed Christian, Muslim, Sufi, Zen, and Hindu-Yogic celebrations of faith there. It is ecumenical in the best sense--centering on where each of us meets Creation-and not a false, "Let's get together and wallow in diversity" mode. The Bridge's purpose is to provide a contemplative setting for creating a wholistic lifestyle. The setting provides a place to deepen relationships with God, self, neighbor, and creation. Guests of all denominations join to pray, to share meals, to study, and to enjoy recreation and the natural silence.
Sister Caroline, Diane, Kathy, Nick, and others I've met there are among the most genuine and loving people I've encountered in my 50+ years. They have joy in themselves and anyone who meets them will feel it.
Spiritual guidance can be arranged by contacting Sister Caroline. The facility also offers massage therapy, cooking/baking, spinning and weaving workshops, and organic gardening advice. The Forget-Me-Not gift shop offers country hand-made items. Sheep and llama wool are for sale.
The Bridge-Between is located near the town of Lark, between Greenleaf and Denmark, about halfway between Green Bay and Appleton. The Bridge is always in need of assistance, financial or otherwise. Anyone interested in visiting The Bridge-Between call (920) 864-7230; e-mail at bbrci@theglobalnet.net check the web site at www.bridge-between.org.
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