Back on topic:
Someone posted to me the " emerging charism of canonical hermits-in-their-own-homes" as an option for those who feel called a little later than in the springtime of youth.
It’s sort of a lay recluse program, as I understand it. I hope the poster will post more information here.
Cloisters
Has anyone heard of something like this?
This is “Cloisters”. I’m a former cloister discerner who started a support group for the sake of cloistered vocations. We were originally called the Society of Our Lady of the Cloister, and our minimal statutes were verbally approved by my local bishop in TN in 1990. I also married in that year.
Before we had internet access, I was mailing packages of cloister vocation literature across the country. Now that we have the internet, we have gone totally cyber. (Postal rates had something to do with that, also). The internet helps us reach more people, and I have corresponded with supporters and discerners from around the world.
cloisters.tripod.com/
While I was still single, though, and had aspirations toward the cloister, I started developing an eremitical lifestyle, and my bishop told me that the order I wanted to start–the Cloisterites–could be done by just me. I didn’t know about canon 603 at the time. Through my internet ministry, I met women attracted to the charism, and plans were made for them to converge at an aspirant’s house. That was in 2008. All of our plans fell through, and I told everyone to stay put. I was advised about canon 603, and that it could be applied to our situation. After advising the aspirants of this development, they said that being hermits suited them. I had to live the life as much as possible, in order to develop their Plan of Life, and that’s how I found my own identity as a lay eremitic/recluse. While developing the Cloisterite Plan of Life, I made my own Personal Prayer Rule (PPR) which builds on the spirituality of the lay Dominicans and Passionists. I have adapted a “habit” of ball cap (in order to practice “covering” more clandestinely) and hoodie with my order affiliation pin.
This is what True Light is referring to. Those wishing consecration under canon 603 have to live as lay eremites for a number of years, developing their charism, as each canonical hermit is their own charism. They may eventually attract adherents, as the Desert Fathers and Mothers did, and a new religious community would emerge.
Older vocations can do the same by working on a Personal Prayer Rule with their spiritual director.
The Cloisterites have persevered to making temporary private promises (not vows) in the privacy of their own homes, which has to be done because the group isn’t out of the preparatory phase yet. They’re considered a Private Preparatory Association of Christ’s faithful with the Intention of becoming an Institute of Religious Life.
I hope everyone can keep all this straight, as they usually try to bundle everything in to one organization, which is incorrect.
To summarize:
I am a lay recluse running a private lay association of Christ’s faithful known as Cloister Outreach:
cloisters.tripod.com/ Our statutes, which stated support for the cloisters, emerging charisms, and foundations as per discerner needs, were verbally approved by Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell in 1990.
I have started a private preparatory association known as the Cloisterite Hermits, who plan to eventually have a recognized Plan of Life and be consecrated under canon 603:
cloisters.tripod.com/cloisterites/
As per the bishop’s instructions, laity are also invited to share the spirituality:
cloisters.tripod.com/lay_cloisterites/
The Lay Cloisterites are required for those who intend to become Cloisterite Hermits.
The hermits have an entrance process known as Vena Cava, because the Plan of Life is known as Nesting in the Sacred Heart. It is based on Carthusian and Reparatrix spirituality (being that of Blessed Emilie and the Society of Mary Reparatrix). However, the Plan of Life permits the use of laura* typologies *from other spiritual traditions (Carthusian, Camaldolese, etc.).
I shall make another post on the concept of the “Betty Order” for mature vocations.
Blessings,
Cloisters
j/k
