Inviting Others to Join me in my Eremitical Journey? Establishing a Lavra?

Dear Sister, Greetings in Christ! I was wondering if you plan on inviting women to join you in your eremitical journey? Developing a Laura perhaps. God bless]]

Interesting question. Thanks! I have given thought to (participating in) the establishment of a virtual lavra for already-professed diocesan hermits who are open and excited about supporting one another via ZOOM meetings and email contacts. We are actually in the (very casual!) process of doing that (or at least discussing doing that!) with hermits from several dioceses and countries. Personally, I would also be open to considering a lavra for other perpetually professed hermits in the Diocese of Oakland, once we have three perpetually professed hermits who might also be interested in that, and some commitment by the local church to provide adequate facilities; unfortunately, these requirements are nowhere on the horizon, so no, I have no plans at all to establish a lavra for other women to join. The most important point to remember about c 603 is that it was established to protect and nurture vocations to solitary eremitical life. 

Remember too that Diocesan hermits are professed in the hands of their local ordinaries; to move to another location (diocese) requires the bishop of that place to agree to accept responsibility for the hermits' professions if they are to move and remain diocesan hermits. Also, as I understand lavras, they are not meant as houses of formation. Under c 603 they would work well for diocesan hermits who have lived as solitary hermits for some time and who could always go back to living that way should circumstances call for them to do so.

However, because lavras are not to rise to the level of a canonical community (there are other (and legitimate) ways to establish communities canonically), as well as because most hermits are neither called nor competent to do formation work or even spiritual direction, and because solitary hermits require the support of other professed solitary hermits, it really does not make sense to open lavras to either non-professed (aspiring), or to non-hermit members. That is especially true since lavras fail or are suppressed far more often than they succeed. Further, even when they succeed, for several of the reasons mentioned above, they are established as temporary and are not meant to be self-perpetuating.

My own preference is to work with candidates for c 603 profession along with representative diocesan personnel (when available) to assist with discernment and formation leading to eventual consecration as a solitary c 603 hermit. The hermits who are considering/talking about establishing a virtual lavra include hermits one or two of us (c 603 hermits) have worked with or are now working with in their journey toward consecration. Once the individual hermit is professed and/or consecrated, we (hermits) may all support one another in eremitical life. This arrangement (working in a mentoring-type relationship similar to the elder-to-junior relationship common among the Desert Fathers and Mothers) assists the dioceses involved to actually discern such vocations, allows for one-on-one formation, and makes sure the c 603 hermit (if this is the direction discernment takes them) can live as a solitary hermit while leading to or providing options for a kind of lavra support and community. 

I do think most hermits need such support and the challenge and vision other hermits can provide, but at the same time with a vocation to solitary eremitical life it is important to protect that primary dimension of the c 603 vocation. Even where physical lavras are established, it is important that the hermit be able to support herself, maintain her own limited ministry and ways of relating to parish and other faith communities, preserve her own bank accounts, insurance coverage, and so forth. She should be able to leave the lavra whenever serious discernment affirms this is God's will. Some dioceses establish lavras and refuse to allow c 603 hermits to be admitted to profession unless they are part of the lavra. This is contrary to the letter and spirit of the canon, however. Physical lavras are supportive of but not essential to the vocation. Virtual lavras may be more essential.

What is your own interest in such a project? Are you a c 603 hermit? Are you interested in joining a lavra? Becoming a hermit? Meanwhile, Happy Easter!!