Wisdom House Staff: Gerard Hall, Chef

From Chef Gerard Hall:
I have been asked to write about why I like working at Wisdom House. Well, given that I am the chef here and loathe talking about myself, I've decided to write a metaphorical analogy about stew. As an aside, I consider myself a parochial townie with a natural curiosity about what's out there, and I'm perfectly happy to figure it out from right here. So anyway, the story goes that some 30 odd years ago a father sent his son to the grocery store to purchase the fixings for a traditional Irish stew. As the young man left the house, the father admonished his son to find the same ingredients his grandpa used to make stew. The young man asked his father why get the same ingredients? The father was almost beside himself and said, "Well don't you love your grandpa's stew?"


"Yes," replied the son.


"Well then, why shop for anything else?" asked the father.


Paradoxically, the young man left for the store without an ingredient list, but with all the ingredients necessary. Thirty odd years later, he finished shopping and ended up at a retreat house working for someone who
said, "Make it like your Grandpa's."


I do love this place and you all add spice to my stew. God bless.

Wisdom House Staff: Bonnie Mis

Bonnie Mis serves Wisdom House as Guest Services Coordinator. From initial contacts to the conclusion of group events, Bonnie oversees the details of the variety of retreats, programs, and workshops that take place at Wisdom House. Bonnie says she enjoys "the variety of people and organizations I get to learn about and work with all year".  These number over  500 organizations and retreats yearly. Bonnie has been Wisdom House's Guest Services Coordinator since 1993.

Wisdom House Staff: Sister Rosemary Connelly, DW, Housekeeping Coordinator

Sister Rosemary Connelly, DW, has served as the Housekeeping Coordinator since 2006. Rosemary and her team believe that cleanliness is an important aspect of respect for guests at Wisdom House. She says, "I enjoy being part of this ministry of the Daughters of Wisdom by helping to provide a peaceful, clean environment. This helps our guests find peace and serenity."

Wisdom House Staff: Jack of All Trades Bob Belzil

Bob Belzil has served at Wisdom House since 2004. He describes himself as "a Jack of all trades" and this is very true. Bob's previous experience and work on submarines has given him skills to do detailed technical work in confined spaces. At Wisdom House, he has a spacious place of 70 acres in his care and he keeps all operations working smoothly. Bob says, "Wisdom House is a serene and peaceful place to work. The people I work with are very supportive of Wisdom House and each other. There is never a boring day and there's always something different to do. Many times in passing through or working in the chapel, I can actually say a small prayer while working, and get paid to do it! How cool is that!"

Wisdom House Staff: Maria Belzil, Gardener

With 4 acres of grass and flower beds surrounding the buildings of Wisdom House's 70 acre campus, you can usually find someone weeding, trimming or cutting. Maria Belzil is one of those gardeners who keeps Wisdom House's gardens inviting. While her full time job fills most of her week, we can still find her occasionally among the hedges and flowers. Maria has gardened at Wisdom House since 2006 and says that she "enjoys having the opportunity to enhance nature's surroundings while working in a peaceful environment." We also enjoy finding Maria among the flowers!