The First Retreat at Our Lady of Peace
 

Through the benevolence of Divine Providence, and with the assistance of the Franciscan Fathers and others, The Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows were able to open Our Lady of Peace Retreat House in the Northwest, Beaverton, Oregon, USA in 1953.  It was no mere accident, but rather one of those fine threads in the web of the Divine Plan that brought to fruition another project of importance to the spiritual life in this area. And so, under the patronage of Our Lady of Peace, one of the most hopefully evoked titles of the Mother of the Prince of Peace, the Franciscan Missionary.

Sisters, together with the Franciscan Fathers, received the first group of retreatants on June 25th, the Feast of the Sacred Heart.  On Friday evening, June 25th, at about 5:30 P.M., Sister Mary Agatha, Superior, and Sister Mary Jane stood at the front entrance of the Retreat House, waiting with happy anticipation to greet the first group of retreatants. The arrival of 43 women in due time gave evidence of the selfless efforts made by Mrs. Malcolm McLean to organize this initial group of women for Our Lady of Peace Retreat, made up of women of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. The "ah's" and "oh's" were unrestrained as the women entered and contemplated for the first time the loveliness and the simplicity of the new retreat house.  The group was organized almost single-handedly by Mrs. McLean, who has proved herself to be a real apostle, and she has set the pace for the promoters and subsequent groups.
(Mrs. McLean is seated in the front row of the below photo with circled face.)