by Therese Ivers, JCL
Way back in September, I was asked to help with an upcoming retreat for women discerning their vocations and who feel like they’re beating their heads on the wall “discerning to death”.  This topic really resonated with me, and as I continue to prepare for this weekend’s retreat, I am seeing [...]

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by Therese Ivers, JCL
There are two types of hermits.  The first is the privately dedicated individual who makes private vows.  The other is the canonical (diocesan) hermit who makes public vows.  Since both of them live in solitude, it may seem on the surface that there is little difference between living in public or private [...]

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Today was the first day of the International Congress Pilgrimage of the Consecrated Virgins held in Rome. After registration, almost 500 consecrated virgins from 52 countries gathered for Vespers and Mass celebrated by an Archbishop of France and half a dozen other (arch)bishops and a couple dozen priests. While most of the consecrated [...]

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by Therese Ivers
A consecrated hermit is an individual who has made public vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the hands of his bishop and lives them according to a rule of life approved by that bishop. The “diocesan hermit” and “consecrated hermit” lives a seclusive lifestyle and vocations to this form of consecrated [...]

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by Therese Ivers
 For centuries people have been embracing the evangelical counsels and binding themselves to observe them by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  The most common example we have of persons making these vows are the men and women who make their profession of vows as religious.  These religious make what is [...]

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