The community is united in its intention to "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22)
We each carry out this mandate very aware of our own faults before God: "The first degree of humility, then, is that you keep the fear of God before your eyes and beware of ever forgetting it." (Benedict of Nursia)
The love we know
The 'work' of the community is to bring the Love of God to all we meet. St. Bernard said: "You wish me to tell you why and how God should be loved. My answer is that God himself is the reason he is to be loved." (St. Bernard of Clairvaux)
The love we live out
All members of the community are committed to living out their calling where they live and work: "Whoever you may be, always have God before your eyes; whatever you do, do it according to the testimony of the Holy Scriptures; in whatever place you live, do not easily leave it. Keep these three precepts and you will be saved." (Anthony of the Desert)
The love we practice
Our calling to love God and neighbor in our communities is practiced day-by-day, hour-by-hour by following the One Way of the psalms and sitting "like a chick, content with the grace of God." (St. Romuald)
The love we are
We accomplish the deep love of Christ in our communities primarily through a fundamental renunciation of the world, by sitting in our cells "as in paradise," and placing ourselves in the presence of God with fear and trembling. (St. Romuald)
Br. Jordan (co-founder)
Br. Leo (co-founder)Brother was a vowed member of a Benedictine community in the Episcopal Church. He has led countless retreats and workshops on many topics like Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, Centering Prayer, healing prayer, and lectio divina at churches throughout Virginia, and for the Order of St Luke (an ecumenical healing order). He is an experienced spiritual director and has a Masters in Psychology. He is married with two children and worships at the Episcopal Church of the Creator in Mechanicsville, VA, where he also leads the Wednesday night Healing Service.
Br. Jude (professed)Brother is a native of Kansas, now residing in Danville, Kentucky where he is employed as the houseparent for nine deaf boys, aged 12 to 14 years old. Brother is a frequent retreatant at the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani and attends mass daily at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Brother enjoys studying history and is deeply immersed in the wisdom of Desert Spirituality. Brother Jude is deaf as is his wife and their three grown children. He has one hearing grandchild.
Br. Peter (professed)Peter is a former Benedictine monk and an Episcopal priest serving at Saint Philip's Church in New Hope, PA. He paints Byzantine icons and teaches others this ancient skill combining prayer and technique. He loves good friends, travel, interesting foods, a well told story, art of all kinds.
Sr. Julian (novice)Sister is a native of Indiana but has lived in Texas for the past 21 years. She has four daughters and three grandchildren. She shares Sweethaven Hermitage with two ancient cats, her dear dog, Xena, and, sometimes, her youngest away-at-college daughter. Much of her life has been spent integrating and discerning a call from God when she was a child. Her interests include contemplative spirituality, eremitic life, and methods of prayer. Sr. Julian worships at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Houston.
Sr. Clare Benedicta (professed)Sister a native Californian has recently returned to the high desert of California after living several years in the Midwest working as a teacher and registered nurse until retiring. The last six years were spent in residency at an Episcopal Benedictine Abbey as a vowed religious. Sister presently shares Desierto Alto Hermitage in Apple Valley with another solitary Sr. Vincent Marie, Gypsy (a rescued sheltie) and several feral cats. Sister has three adult children, five grandchildren and will soon be a great grandmother. Sister writes 14th century Byzantine style icons. She also spins, using her spun yarns for weaving and knitting both wearable and fiber art pieces. Sister attends St. Hilary’s Episcopal Church in Hesperia California.
Br. Bede (Novice)
Brother is a native of Great Britain and worships at the Church of St. Leonard in the village of ‘Heath and Reach’ Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. Much drawn to contemplative prayer and the monastic life as a solitary, he became a Camaldolese Oblate through which he was led to explore a deeper commitment to a solitary life in the Camaldolese spirit. Bede volunteers with people in temporary emotional distress. He is interested in Celtic spirituality and the 14thC English mystics. Brother has a ‘family’ of three dogs who are totally committed to the ‘ministry’ of keeping him fit!!
Sr. Therese (Professed)
Sister Therese lives in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. She is married with a preschool daughter and comes to us from the Third Order Society of St Francis. Sister has felt a monastic call for over 18 years and has been investigating how monastic life integrates with family life for over half of that time. Sister worships at St James Anglican Church in Lower Hutt and works in health and safety. Sister loves books, music, singing, and doing tapestry – when she has the time around family, full-time work and university studies! (Click here to view her provisional profession and vesture with her husband and small daughter helping. Sr. Therese is very blessed to have such great local support).
Sr. Corby (Novice)
Sister resides with her dog Jairus at Jairus’ Hermitage and she worships at Old Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church both are in Bloomfield, Connecticut. She serves as the Director of Planning, Research and Assessment for the Board of Trustees, Connecticut Community-Technical Colleges. She is a member of the Board of Trustees and the Web Technician for Jubilee House. Sister Corby retired from the US Army as a Master Sergeant and holds a BA in Psychology from Central Connecticut State University, MA in Psychology from Southern Connecticut State University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Connecticut. She can be contacted at her blog.
Br. Raymond (Novice)
Br.Raymond is a university professor and a theater director. His interests include the Contemplative Arts, Celtic Spirituality and the Christian Inner Tradition. He lives on the island of Martha's Vineyard with his wife and their menagerie. He has misplaced his one good picture and is working diligently to find another one.
