hermits and recluses

[MarysLittleFlower]

This seems like a very rare vocation... Anyone ever discerned it? We don't hear much about it... How do hermits live? (I mean besides the obvious part of living alone)

[marigold]

It differs across time and culture, obviously; some women have turned a room in their parents' house into a cell, others have gone out alone into wildernesses like the desert or the forest (this book, Maria of Olonets: Desert Dweller of the Northern Forests, is one I like), or else lived in towns and been closely attached to their local church. Common hallmarks seem to be praying throughout the day and night, usually the liturgical Hours, and keeping occupied with handiwork etc. to support themselves and/or the local church.

Personally, I love the desert ideal, and feel most at home in a forest, but I know I am not capable of this life for the time being. Perhaps ever. It's always there as a possibility and ideal in the Orthodox monastic tradition, however.

[FrauMolly]

For those interested who can read German I found the following books to be very interesting:

Einsam und allein? Eremiten in Deutschland

Eremitische Spiritualität

The author is Maria Anna Leenen. She lives as a diocesan hermit in Germany.

Very impressing is also the biography of Julia Crotta, sister Nazarena of Jesus.

Also, hello :-) (As this is my first post after lurking for quite a while). I hope you bear with me as English is not my native language.

[Luigi]

Willkommen, FrauMolly!

[marigold]

For those interested who can read German I found the following books to be very interesting:

Einsam und allein? Eremiten in Deutschland

Eremitische Spiritualität

The author is Maria Anna Leenen. She lives as a diocesan hermit in Germany.

Very impressing is also the biography of Julia Crotta, sister Nazarena of Jesus.

Also, hello :-) (As this is my first post after lurking for quite a while). I hope you bear with me as English is not my native language.

Willkommen!

[FrauMolly]

Danke schön :-))

[MarysLittleFlower]

Welcome FrauMolly! I wish I could read German! Thank you for sharing I think I have a French book about Julia Crotta because its about a recluse named Nazarena. I don't speak French either though so that's a challenge :D

[beatitude]

There is a hermit who occasionally posts on Phatmass, Sr Laurel, who keeps a blog that you might like: Notes from Stillsong Hermitage. She takes questions from readers and sometimes bases blog posts on them.

[MarysLittleFlower]

It differs across time and culture, obviously; some women have turned a room in their parents' house into a cell, others have gone out alone into wildernesses like the desert or the forest (this book, Maria of Olonets: Desert Dweller of the Northern Forests, is one I like), or else lived in towns and been closely attached to their local church. Common hallmarks seem to be praying throughout the day and night, usually the liturgical Hours, and keeping occupied with handiwork etc. to support themselves and/or the local church.

Personally, I love the desert ideal, and feel most at home in a forest, but I know I am not capable of this life for the time being. Perhaps ever. It's always there as a possibility and ideal in the Orthodox monastic tradition, however.

its so interesting! Yes it must be very hard though. Hard to imagine I think theres a foundress of a religious comminity in the US, Children of Mary, who was a hermitess before. 

There is a hermit who occasionally posts on Phatmass, Sr Laurel, who keeps a blog that you might like: Notes from Stillsong Hermitage. She takes questions from readers and sometimes bases blog posts on them.

oh neat! I'll take a look thanks!

I see she wears a habit, is that common? 

[FrauMolly]

Thank you, MarysLittleFlower :-)

There is a book in English about her: Nazarena, an American Anchoress by Thomas Matus.

[truthfinder]

its so interesting! Yes it must be very hard though. Hard to imagine I think theres a foundress of a religious comminity in the US, Children of Mary, who was a hermitess before. 

oh neat! I'll take a look thanks!

I see she wears a habit, is that common? 

There's a diocesan hermit in my province and I believe she wears a habit that the bishop invested her with. I believe she lives in a small trailer and goes to the nearest church for Mass. 

[AccountDeleted]

its so interesting! Yes it must be very hard though. Hard to imagine I think theres a foundress of a religious comminity in the US, Children of Mary, who was a hermitess before. 

oh neat! I'll take a look thanks!

I see she wears a habit, is that common? 

I think a lot of hermits wear habits. I lived with a laura called the Hermits of Bethlehem - a group of hermits who live on the same land and share some activities together (like Mass) and they wore a denim habit plus a cream colored cloak with a hood. 

When I lived as a single hermit, I didn't wear a habit because I hadn't been consecrated. I spoke with the Bishop about it and he said that I had to live the life for at least a year before we should speak about it again. After 8 months I decided that it wasn't my vocation.

[BarbTherese]

There is a hermit who occasionally posts on Phatmass, Sr Laurel, who keeps a blog that you might like: Notes from Stillsong Hermitage. She takes questions from readers and sometimes bases blog posts on them.

Excellent website!

[Benedictus]

Some live in community -  Carthusians, Camaldolese Hermits, Hermit Sisters of Mary and Hermits of Bethlehem (the latter two under Canon 603). There are some groups connected to the Carmelites and others too.

There are diocese based hermits but that route is often long and not all Bishops will oversee a discerner. They also tend to wait a fair while, expect a rule of life to be lived out for several years and often only accept candidates for vows once they're older, even retired. There are a few exceptions though I expect.

You also have to fairly  rooted in your parish and have a suitable income, or a nest egg of some sort, to support yourself. Work should fit with the hermit life too. I've read examples of hermits working from home with IT, graphic design, art, craft, card making, media etc. There is a hermit priest in Ireland who has a home shrine and does video sermons and talks that are uploaded online. I guess some day jobs (or night jobs) would be more suitable than others though if home work wasn't really an option.