About the Hermitage

The Hermitage of the Divine Bridegroom is a private apostolate of prophetic intercessory prayer: a mission of contemplation and praise of God in solitude, for the salvation of souls.

Let me tell you a little about myself.

For eight years, I was a sister in an active religious community. In that time, I had the joy and privilege of being Christ’s hands and feet to the poor, the lonely, and the most vulnerable among His children. Then He called me deeper into His Heart. There, I found an invitation to participate in His redeeming love for the entire world—especially those most hidden, unseen, and unheard—through a life of prayer and solitude. Now, I daily unite my life in self-offering to His own sacrifice on the cross: for His Bride, the Church; for the world; and for YOU.

While the in-dwelling of the Most Holy Trinity is a reality for all baptized Christians, I have discovered that my vocation is to live this in a more radical way: in a hidden life of prayer, not in the confines of a cloister, but as a solitary hermit. Rather than seeking God in community, I am drawn to solitude to seek the depths of God within. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says of hermits: 

They manifest to everyone the interior aspect of the mystery of the Church, that is, personal intimacy with Christ. Hidden from the eyes of men, the life of the hermit is a silent preaching of the Lord, to whom he has surrendered his life simply because he is everything to him. Here is a particular call to find in the desert, in the thick of spiritual battle, the glory of the Crucified One. 

(CCC Paragraph 221) 

I smile now as I recall the prophetic words of a priest friend whom I encountered only a few days before leaving the convent: “Just stay in the desert, Sister!” It was the Desert Fathers of the 3rd and 4th centuries who first sought union with God in the wilderness of their hearts, literally forsaking all worldly, material things and living in desert caves. The stories of their lives are the stuff of legend, but their legacy of wisdom about the human heart still rings true through the ages. 

I can assure you that my life will never be thought legendary, but I do have every confidence in God that He will use the offering of this simple, hidden life for His glory and for the salvation of souls. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta has inspired many to “do small things with great love,” a philosophy that she adopted from her patroness, St. Thérèse of Liseux and her “little way” of love. Indeed, it is love, and not great things, that will change the world. It was in the dark of night after night in a small convent cell that I learned this most intimately: pressing a colicky newborn to my heart so that his mother could get a few hours of sleep, I knew that nothing could affect positive change in the life of this vulnerable child, and in the world, more than these simple, little moments of love. 

My life as a hermit is an offering to God—for the world—of a multitude of simple moments of love. Love: for those who feel unlovable, forsaken, forgotten, unworthy, or unredeemable; for those who have been wounded, betrayed, ignored; for those who are sick, broken, or just weary. It is for these, the voiceless, that I pray the echo of my silent life will speak: “You are loved.” 

In 2024, I look forward to continuing discernment with my archdiocese to become a canonically recognized (consecrated) hermit by professing vows in the hands of the archbishop. While it is possible to live one’s entire life as a hermit without canonical status, I hope that this consecration might bless the local and universal Church in ways yet unknown. Please pray for continued receptivity to the promptings of the Holy Spirit throughout this process, that God might be glorified according to His most holy will. 

Please know that you are deeply cherished and loved and remain in my daily prayers. 

Humbly, in the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus,