Hermitage of St. Joseph
In 270 AD, Anthony, an Egyptian born man who was raised in a devout family, heard the words of the Gospel If thou wilt be perfect, go sell all that thou hast and give to the poor, and come follow me and thou shalt have treasure in heaven (Matt. 19:21).He gave to the villagers the property of his inheritance and sold all else for a great sum of money. Upon entering the church again, he heard the Lord say to him Be not solicitous for the morrow (Matt. 6:34).
He then gave the profit of his sale to the poor and was driven by the Spirit into the desert. Anthony grew in holiness through ceaseless prayer, work, penance, and perseverance, and many sought to follow his example. In doing so, hermits populated the desert forming what are called Lauras after the Greek word meaning ‘pathway,’ as each hermit had a path leading from their individual cell to the chapel.
This Christian monasticism spread rapidly to Palestine, Syria, and the surrounding areas in the Middle East before igniting the same spirit across Europe. It was from this eremitical root that monasteries grew and bore the fruit of the rich, cenobitic, life and traditions which formed many of the saints we look up to today.
The vocation of the hermit yet remained a separate calling. It is these solitary hermits who gave their lives as an offering to God who are credited with the salvation of culture and religious doctrine in Europe during the darkest moments of history. Today, the Church, in all her wisdom, continues to recognize the eremitical life as a unique call to this aloneness and to the immediacy of the encounter with the Lord God of Hosts before whom we stand that characterize the vocation.
A hermit may live either under private vows or be publicly consecrated in the hands of a bishop, and both forms are recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as we read in the Catechism (920) "Without always professing the three evangelical counsels publicly, hermits devote their life to the praise of God and salvation of the world through a stricter separation from the world, the silence of solitude and assiduous prayer and penance."
He then gave the profit of his sale to the poor and was driven by the Spirit into the desert. Anthony grew in holiness through ceaseless prayer, work, penance, and perseverance, and many sought to follow his example. In doing so, hermits populated the desert forming what are called Lauras after the Greek word meaning ‘pathway,’ as each hermit had a path leading from their individual cell to the chapel.
This Christian monasticism spread rapidly to Palestine, Syria, and the surrounding areas in the Middle East before igniting the same spirit across Europe. It was from this eremitical root that monasteries grew and bore the fruit of the rich, cenobitic, life and traditions which formed many of the saints we look up to today.
The vocation of the hermit yet remained a separate calling. It is these solitary hermits who gave their lives as an offering to God who are credited with the salvation of culture and religious doctrine in Europe during the darkest moments of history. Today, the Church, in all her wisdom, continues to recognize the eremitical life as a unique call to this aloneness and to the immediacy of the encounter with the Lord God of Hosts before whom we stand that characterize the vocation.
A hermit may live either under private vows or be publicly consecrated in the hands of a bishop, and both forms are recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as we read in the Catechism (920) "Without always professing the three evangelical counsels publicly, hermits devote their life to the praise of God and salvation of the world through a stricter separation from the world, the silence of solitude and assiduous prayer and penance."
A Teresian Laura
The Hermitage of St. Joseph is a Teresian Laura, following the example of the early hermits on Mount Carmel, and according to the spirit and Reform of St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila). The Rule of St. Albert* will regulate the life of the laura.
Through the kindness and generosity of many friends and those unknown to us, we were able to purchase property in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, suitable to begin this laura. It was on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday, June 11, 2010, that the acquisition of the property became a reality. God in His Infinite Mercy has bestowed this little corner for our humble beginnings. There is still much work to be done and needed supplies in order to reach our goal. Many, many thanks to all of you, who have helped us so generously. May the Good God and His Most Pure Mother bless you all.
Welcome to our website. Please feel free to browse through it to see the updates and progress we have made.
Through the kindness and generosity of many friends and those unknown to us, we were able to purchase property in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, suitable to begin this laura. It was on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday, June 11, 2010, that the acquisition of the property became a reality. God in His Infinite Mercy has bestowed this little corner for our humble beginnings. There is still much work to be done and needed supplies in order to reach our goal. Many, many thanks to all of you, who have helped us so generously. May the Good God and His Most Pure Mother bless you all.
Welcome to our website. Please feel free to browse through it to see the updates and progress we have made.
Saint Albert
Saint Albert Avogadro was born about the middle of the twelfth century in Castel Gualteri in Italy. He became a Canon Regular of the Holy Cross at Mortara and was elected their prior in 1180. Named Bishop of Bobbio in 1184, and of Vercelli in 1185, he was made Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1205. There, in word and example, he was the model of a good pastor and peacemaker. Around 1195, several men who were returning from the Crusades decided to stay in Palestine on Mount Carmel to live out their lives as hermits. While St. Albert was Patriarch (1206-1214), these hermits asked him if he could give them a rule. St. Albert then wrote a “way of life” for these hermits. He was tragically murdered during a Church procession on the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross in Acre on September 14, 1214.
The "way of life" St. Albert wrote for these hermits in the 13th Century is the same rule St. Teresa of Avila used for the Reform of the Carmelite Order in the 16th Century.
The "way of life" St. Albert wrote for these hermits in the 13th Century is the same rule St. Teresa of Avila used for the Reform of the Carmelite Order in the 16th Century.