We are a hermitage; that is, we are a community of hermits, each living in an individual cell enclosed by a garden, but praying together.

A typical day here begins with the 5:15 am bell, which rings fifteen minutes before the start of the office of Vigils. Many of the monks rise earlier for lectio and prayer in their cells. Vigils end at 6:20 am or so, and then there is an interval for private prayer until Lauds at 7:00 am. Following Lauds, some monks go to their cell for breakfast, others go to the kitchen for a pick-up breakfast. The mornings usually have a large amount of time in solitude to be devoted to prayer, lectio, study and exercise. For those in formation there are morning classes on some days. In addition, some of the work assignments require morning work.

Eucharist is at 11:30 am, followed by our one communal meal. We have reading during the meal or listen to music two days per week. We take turns cooking. The afternoon work period is from 2:00 to 5:30 pm, although a number of the work duties have different hours. The days are structured to give time for silence and solitude, as well as work of various kinds. Vespers is at 6:00 pm, with an optional group meditation immediately following for half an hour. There is no formal evening meal. Again, some monks will heat up leftovers in the kitchen and others will eat in their cells. The remainder of the evening is free.

Each month a monk may take a Desert Day. On this day the monk is excused from all communal activities, in order to have a day of more intense solitude and prayer. There is time each year for the monk to have a personal retreat in the silence and solitude of the cell. We have a communal retreat of eight days each year, and a number of workshops and conferences throughout the year. We also have a monthly Recreation Day that can include a day trip away from the Hermitage.

We do not have any permanent ministries outside of the Hermitage. Occasionally a monk will give a retreat outside the Hermitage, but the bulk of our day-to-day life is lived here. We offer hospitality to the guests who come and stay at our retreat house (9 rooms, 5 trailer-hermitages), manage our fruitcakes and date nut cakes, and attend to the various internal demands of our life.

Our life includes an ever-shifting balance of work and prayer, solitude and communion. Depending on your life experiences, we may seem more or less active than what you may be used to. As with many things, however, a written description such as this can only convey so much about the life.

It needs to be experienced.