Hermits of St. Mary of Carmel
We are Hermits of the Little Way of Merciful Love of St Thérèse, living as a community of Carmelite Hermits, joined together by mutual charity for material and spiritual support and stability.
As St Thérèse, we seek that contemplative gaze upon our Triune God, seeking to live in total humility and confidence, a life in the simplicity of Love, recognizing our littleness and poverty and weaknesses, abandoning ourselves, trusting audaciously in the goodness of our Heavenly Father. Our life is one of silence and solitude, love and sacrifice, becoming unpetalled of self, in our Hermitages as well as our life in community in order to allow God to penetrate our hearts with His Love and to be consumed and transformed by this Love. This Love, born of prayer, is poured out on our Church and the world, for the salvation of souls and sanctification of our priests, waging spiritual battle in this life that more and more souls may benefit now and for all eternity, from the Precious Blood of Merciful Love, shed by Jesus on the Cross.
With Mary, Our Lady of Mt Carmel, as our Mother, we receive the grace of God and give our "Yes", our "Fiat". We enter into the Paschal Mystery of Jesus' Life, Death, and Resurrection, that Love may be loved! Our offering, first given as God's gift to us, is reciprocated in the simplicity and ordinariness of each day, an Oblation united with Jesus' through the hands of Our Lady, Spouse of the Holy Ghost, to our Heavenly Father.
Contact:
Sr. Magdalen Marie, HSMC
Vocation Directress
33005 Stinson Ridge Rd
Houston, MN 55943
www.hsmcmn.com
507-896-2125
Professed Members: 3
Year Founded: 1980
Diocese: Winona, MN
Qualifications: The applicants to our Hermitage should sense they are called to Carmel, called to the Little Way of St Thérèse and called to be a Hermit living in solitude and community. The applicants should manifest a right intention and spiritual attitude, possess a temperament suited to a life in community and a life in solitude, including good common sense and balance, must give evidence of adequate maturity, be in good physical condition, have a healthy capacity to love and finally must possess an ever deepening longing to be one with God.
Formation: One to two weeks “come and see”; Three months live-in experience; Six months to one year postulancy; One to two years novitiate; Three years temporary vows; Then perpetual vows.
Age range/limit: 20-40
Belated vocations? Yes: Ideally it would help greatly if the applicant had some experience of religious life. If after many years of living and feeling a longing to give oneself to God in a real tangible way, one would also feel the beginning of wanting to let go of possessions and even of self for the love of God alone; such an individual would be considered. We are looking for women who desire to become (or, are already) “madly” in love with Our Lord!