Way of the Cross - Durward's Glen, Wisconsin - Outdoor Stations of the Cross on Waymarking.com

Aside from its lovely natural beauty, its deep gorge, its crumbling ledges, and its sylvan attractions, the Glen has innate religious associations. It was here that Bernard I. Durward-poet, painter, professor-and his wife came, following his conversion, to make the spot their home. From here two of their sons entered the Catholic priesthood.
Little wonder such a home has come to be idealized. Bernard I. Durward, the father of the family, was born in Scotland and came to America in 1845 at the request of Joshua Hathaway of Milwaukee. He was a poet and portrait artist, and some time after his arrival painted Bishop Henni. While engaged in his work he was converted to Catholicism. Life in Milwaukee, already growing into a city, did not appeal to the father, and in 1862 the family started for Central Wisconsin in a one-horse wagon, crossing the Wisconsin River in Portage. The Glen was reached on November 1 - All Saints Day. Near the spot where they stopped at the mouth of the famous gorge on a high rocky ledge, a full-sized statue of the Virgin Mary has been erected. Around its base the pathway leads to the hill-crest, where the family cemetery is located, and on the topmost knoll stands the church.
The station shrines were erected in 1889 when Father John (one of Bernard's sons) returned from Palestine. Father John, returning from the Holy Land, brought a little soil from the site of the original stations in the Via Dolorosa, at Jerusalem, and this was incorporated with these, making the hilltop a veritable Holy Land.

Just a small portion of Chapter XI, LIVING BOTANY, Durward's Glen, "Alluring Wisconsin" by Fred L. Holmes, Copyright 1937.

Baraboo, WI 2007 - Magdalen College in Warner, New Hampshire announced it has acquired the historic Durward’s Glen property in Caledonia Township, Wisconsin. This acquisition came in large part through the generosity of the Our Lady of the Rosary Investors Group, a Columbia County, Wisconsin group of preservationists and local supporters who have for generations worked, maintained and financially supported the Glen.

Durward’s Glen has been owned and operated by the St. Camillus Religious community since 1932 but in recent years it has become too costly to continue operation because it is disjoint from the order’s primary mission which is health care. The St. Camillus order is headquartered in Milwaukee, WI.

Durward’s Glen is located in the scenic Baraboo bluffs 30 miles north of Madison near Devils Lake State Park. The beautiful 40-acre property was first purchased in 1862 by Scottish immigrant Bernard Durward who made it his family’s new home. The Durward family was recognized for their exceptional talent as poets and artists. The pristine nature of the property offers scenic walking trails, a pond, a rambling brook, a nature trail and a 400-year old white oak. The chapel is listed in the National Historic Registry. The property has a special spiritual character, which has attracted visitors from all over Wisconsin, and is recognized as a special place for reflection, peace and quiet.

Magdalen College was established in 1973 in New Hampshire and is a four year liberal arts college in the Catholic tradition. The mission of the college is to educate, form, and train young men and women to seek intellectual, moral, social, and spiritual excellence so as to serve the church and society with missionary zeal.

Jeffrey J. Karls, President of Magdalen College, said that “Magdalen will continue to operate Durward’s Glen as a special place for Catholic educational programs, summer programs, and retreats while it establishes long-term plans for Catholic educational programs at the Glen that will enhance the college’s overall mission.”

The Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison, has praised the investment group saying that, “I am very encouraged by the faith that you and the other members of the Our Lady of the Rosary Group have shown in working to keep the Durward’s Glen property as a sacred place of retreat. I want to personally thank you for the concern you have shown for my ministry. As the guardian of church teaching and the practice in the Diocese of Madison, I grant my Nihil Obstat (official blessing) with regard to your efforts in procuring the Durward’s Glen property and bringing Magdalen College to our Diocese. I believe that God blesses good works such as yours.”

Park at N43 26.157 W089 35.545
Coordinates take you to 1st Station

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