Commission of the Future Meets January 29

Since the visit of our Father Immediate on 2018, Abbot Mark and 9 other monks have been meeting about every 8 weeks to discuss and plan for New Melleray’s future.   Among the topics discussed at these meetings are the upcoming abbatial election, (July, 2020), modification of certain structures of our large monastery building to better meet the needs of a community diminished in size, and our progress in implementing the formal Strategic Plan formulated in 2017.  These meetings are generally preceded by a detailed summary of our last meeting and proposals for two or three questions to be addressed.  Discussion of the Commission of the Future are facilitated by Dr. Patricia Kelly who has offered her services to several of our Trappist monasteries in this country.  These communities have approached Dr. Kelly because they have important matters to discuss and wish to do so in a disciplined way.  Dr. Kelly generally schedules an afternoon session with the monks, followed by a full day session, and concludes with a morning session the next day.  On the evening of her full day session with the Commission, Dr. Kelly speaks to the community as a whole, summarizing the proceedings of the Commission and inviting monks to ask questions or offer comments.  The work of the Commission of the Future is a concrete application of an important principle articulated a number of years ago by the monks: What ever we do that is of importance we wish to do together.  We appreciate your prayers for the monks of New Melleray as we engage the challenge of planning for the future in accord with God’s will and in keeping with our own energy and talents.