HERMITS OF ST. MARY OF CARMEL
The Little Way of the
Hermits of St. Mary of Carmel
A Hidden Offering of Self-Surrender
“The hidden life of the Hermits is marked by simplicity, spiritual childhood, and a daily offering of love in union with Our Lady and the saints of Carmel. Inspired in part by the example of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and her ‘Little Way,’ the sisters entrust even the smallest acts to God, for His glory and the salvation of souls.”
Spiritual Childhood
Within the silence of the hermitage, the sisters strive to live a hidden life of simplicity and surrender, drawing quiet inspiration from the example of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Lived through the Rule of St. Albert and nourished by the spiritual wisdom of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross, this path of littleness reflects the Carmelite spirit of abandonment, humility, and prayerful fidelity.
Daily Fidelity in Solitude
For the Hermits of St. Mary of Carmel, this spirit of spiritual childhood is expressed through small acts of daily faithfulness. It flows through their solitude, informs their penance, and strengthens the humble detachment required of those who seek to live “hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). Each sister, in her own hermitage and through the shared silence of the community, offers herself to God in a life of quiet sacrifice, recollection, and interior surrender.​
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She offers her love without seeking notice, consoled by the gaze of God alone. In this hidden place, her soul learns to walk by faith, to be content with what is unseen, and to rejoice in being known only to Him.
Rule & Tradition
This form of life remains fully within the Rule of St. Albert and the Carmelite tradition. The sisters are faithful daughters of Carmel, united to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, obedient to the Church, and committed to a life of prayer and reparation. Their way of life reflects the principles of the Carmelite charism—solitude, silence, spiritual poverty, and hidden union with Christ.
Daily Sacrifice, Hidden and Entire
​The hermit’s life is a continual oblation. The sisters rise and labor in silence. Each rising, each task, each breath of prayer or labor is gathered and offered in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass—for the glory of God, for the Church, for the sanctification of priests, and for souls who will never know her name. In the silence of her hermitage, the sister lives out a hidden martyrdom of the heart. Beneath this quiet poverty lies a Eucharistic offering: her very self, united to the mystery of Christ crucified.​​
Fiat in the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the true Mother and Model of the hermit. She teaches her daughters to suffer silently, to love wholly, and to persevere without being seen. Within the stillness of the hermitage, each sister is invited to echo the hidden life of Jesus at Nazareth. In solitude, she learns to rejoice in being known by God alone.​
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To dwell in Carmel is to dwell in Mary. The hermit is alone, but never abandoned. Her solitude is inhabited. Her offering, though unseen, is joined to the great hymn of intercession sung by the Church in the silence of the saints.
May this Little Way of the Hermits of St. Mary of Carmel be a small echo of Our Lady’s fiat, and may it serve, in God’s providence, as a fragrant offering in His Church: nothing spectacular, but everything surrendered.
Nota Bene
This particular spirit of spiritual childhood grew naturally within the context of daily fidelity to the liturgical life, the Rule, and the sacramental life of the Church. It is not a new charism, but a quiet renewal of heart within the classical framework of Carmel. Its fruits—peace, perseverance, and hidden joy—bear witness to God’s grace at work in a life surrendered entirely to Him.
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Deo gratias!