Spring update from Executive Director David MacDonald
Dear Forest Friends,
First of all, I want to thank you all for the warm welcome you have given to Kelly and I as we’ve settled in over these first three months of living at the Forest. We have both truly come to love this place, and the wonderful people who come here. The Forest of Peace is a real “thin place,” and I have been so blessed and enriched by living and working here. I look forward to meeting many more of you in the coming months, and to helping foster an environment of welcome and hospitality in keeping with the vision of our founder, Sr. Pascaline Coff.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Michaela Lawson, who served as the interim Executive Director here at the Forest for over two and a half years. Michaela has done a fantastic job holding space here and helping us get on our feet following the pandemic and through many shifts in staff and the community. She has been a tremendous source of information and inspiration for me as she has mentored me through my first 90 days. As she begins to transition back into her role as a board member, I look forward to working with her on fundraising projects, the launch of the One + Heart book, and telling the story of the Forest for everyone to hear. Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do, Michaela!
As I have welcomed folks to the Forest over the past few months, I have often been asked what my plans are for the Forest. My response has always been the same—I plan to listen. I consider listening to be one of my strengths—I am a spiritual director, after all!—and I look forward to listening to our guest retreatants, day visitors, board members, donors, friends, and neighbors.
I love to hear the stories of how people first came to know about the Forest, and I really love getting to see people experience the Forest for the first time! So, this first year will be a year of listening, with no major changes, as I adjust and learn the stories of all of you who make up the Forest of Peace community.
As you come to the Forest, you will begin to see a few minor changes here and there—mostly cosmetic, or slight changes to daily procedures, but for the most part the traditions and characteristics of the Forest will remain the same. We still honor the silence and stillness through the rhythm of our daily life and practices. We still take time to meditate and utilize the same format three times a day that the sisters used when they resided here. We still love to welcome people to the table with delicious and healthy meals, and lively and deep conversations after we’ve all had our fill to eat. If you haven’t been to the Forest in a while, or if you’ve been very recently, you’ll find a community of hospitable and contemplative people just waiting to join you on your spiritual journey.
As we move forward into the future together, I anticipate that there will be some adjustments and changes along the way. Life would be boring and none of us would ever grow if we didn’t embrace the changes that time and circumstances bring to our lives. And, I also anticipate that all the things that make the Osage Forest of Peace so very special will always remain, and that the same Spirit that enlivened the work of Sr. Pascaline, Sr. Priscilla, Fr. Bede, and Fr. Jim will continue to enliven our work and life together.
This season has also brought with it many possibilities in the form of our residential community. Already, we have welcomed Jeni Enns back to the Forest as a steward, and there are a few people with whom we are currently in discernment about either a short-term residency or a more long-term arrangement. We will communicate with you here and through social media when new members of the residential community are added.
If you have been thinking about coming to the Forest for a visit—whether to walk the trails for an afternoon, to stay for a weekend, or to attend Forest Mass or another special event—I encourage you to come out and see us soon There will always be a cup of hot tea or coffee waiting for you, and I would love to sit down with you and hear your Forest stories!