Osage Forest of Peace

The vision at Osage Forest of Peace retreat center is: Cultivating peace, healing and renewal in a contemplative, interspiritual environment. Inspired by the wisdom and vision of Father Bede Griffiths, Osage Forest of Peace was founded as a monastic ashram in 1979 by Sister Pascaline Coff and the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Today we continue to embody the original vision by being an interspiritual, contemplative retreat center and by drinking from the wellsprings of the great spiritual traditions - Through contemplative silence, a simple life-style and communal living and by offering hospitality to all who seek to deepen their spiritual practice.

Our vision is to create sacred space to nurture spirit in support of a more peaceful world. The Forest develops our programs and retreats based on Five Focus Areas designed to guide the realization of our vision:

Interfaith Connection – including interspiritual dialogue, interfaith forums, and community building. Our affiliation with the Foundation for New Monasticism and InterSpirituality aligns us with groups around the world who share a similar vision.

Education – we are committed to offering educational programs to teach meditation, mindfulness, contemplative practice and spiritual direction. Our School of Spiritual Direction graduates new spiritual companions each year trained in deep listening.

Caring for Caretakers – we seek to provide programs and retreats to support clergy, therapists, medical personnel, and teachers. These programs integrate contemplative practice into self-care activities that keep caretakers strong and balanced.

Mental Health and Addiction – we partner with 12-step programs, therapists, and spiritual teachers to provide tools to deal with addictive tendencies and to recognize and address co-dependency and anxiety.

Veterans and Veterans’ Families – we seek to provide support and spiritual tools for veterans and their families. Offerings include a Respite Retreat for veterans’ families in collaboration with Veterans Families United.