Mount Carmel Hermitage / Hermits of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel

When to go

About

• Viva Yoyis★★★★★4 years ago

  Beautiful place of peace and quiet. Listening to the wind in the trees under an incredibly blue sky is mesmerizing. We arrived around 10:30, the doors to the compound were not open, but we buzzed and someone came. Their gift shop is just at the entrance and full of goods the monks make. We were allowed to walk around and told to take our time. We only saw 2 monks, the one that unlocked the door and the Brother that took a break from leveling the road with the backhoe to show us the shop. There's a walking path around the inside with a chapel and several other buildings. On the outside of the compound is a lovely setting of the Stations of the Cross, and a staircase to a statue of Mary on top of the hill overlooking the Hermitage. It's a wonderful place to meditate and say your prayers/rosary.

• Abel★★★★★2 years ago

  I spent a month here as a come-and-see visitor, discerning a call to the religious life. I am leaving a review for any man who is thinking of doing a come-and-see visit with these Carmelite hermits. Most of the reviews have to do with the gift shop and the baked goods (which are all delicious), but none have any information about the monastic a eremitical life lived here. So if you're thinking about monastic life, here is some information from my direct experience: Liturgy: They celebrate Mass according to the new form, but very reverently and they use Latin. They also use the traditional Gregorian chants for Mass and the hours of the office. Silence: These brothers practice very faithful monastic silence. They are very contemplative. They keep a good separation from the world, very faithful to their charism as Carmelite Hermits. All of them are recollected and peaceful. They have great joy in each other and in their lives. It is truly edifying to see. Asceticism: These brothers live a simple life of prayer and work. They pray a lot and work a lot. And they pray and work at the same time too! Their cells reflect the general asceticism of the rest of their lives. They are a suitable size for a hermitage, but very simple and in my opinion, the perfect size for someone who does not own any worldly possessions or superfluous decorations. They observe the traditional fast from the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Sept 14th) until Easter. When you experience the way they fast, you will see that it is perfectly measured to be both challenging and gentle. I never felt pushed beyond my abilities (I'm not strong at fasting), but I also never felt like they lived a soft and easy life. The food is equally simple and delicious. I found it very monastic. They perpetually abstain from meat except on rare occasions (Easter, for example). There's a lot more that I could say on this point, but suffice it to say, that they are in every way satisfactory and serious about their observance of asceticism in this area. The Holy Habit: I was there for a month, but at no point did I see any one of them wearing anything except their religious habit. Just like most monastic communities, they have a work habit when they work and their regular habit for the rest of the day. I want to emphasize that I did not even hear reference to any point at which they would not wear their habit. I wouldn't be surprised if they sleep in their habits. The Priesthood or Lay brotherhood: If you are a man interested in living a very simple and faithful prayer life with lots of monastic work, I would encourage you to visit this place. The status quo is that all the men here are entering as brothers. Some of them are ordained, purely on a need-basis. So if you want to live a life of consistent study and priestly activity, this is not for you. They do not minister to the lay faithful as priests as a regular thing. They're contemplatives and hermits; they're much more like the early desert fathers than like friars. On the other hand, if you've thought about being a lay brother and feel attracted to the rhythm of a life of work and liturgical prayer, I think this place would be good to visit. Do you also feel a love for the silence and solitude of a monastery, left alone with God and your brothers in religion? This is such a place. It can be at first a bit off-putting that they do so much work in their bakery. But remember that the desert fathers spent many hours weaving baskets, which is much more tedious. Both tasks are done for the same reason and with the same spirit. They work at baking goods to support their monastery, just as the desert fathers used to sell their baskets to support themselves. The father's had a great emphasis on manual labor with a prayerful spirit. It helps to fight temptations. Now, having said all that, this work is very simple and the academic life and intellectual formation is not the priority, so if that is your goal, then this is not for you.

• Rebecca S. Lancaster★★★★★2 years ago

  I was able to stop for a quick visit. I wished I could have stayed longer. I was able to purchase some of the bread, jellies and flavored pecans. They are all very delicious.

• Aaron January★★★★★a year ago

  It was such a beautiful, peaceful place. We visited with questions about sheep and goat care, and the brothers we met were very helpful. Of course, we bought some of the delicious jelly, honey, and almond cookies they had for sale. I'm ashamed to say the box of 20 cookies did not live to see the end of the day. They were that good. The pomegranate jelly is something I have never tasted before but will be returning for more. I look forward to more visits.

• Gina Ritter★★★★★6 months ago

  Amazing Almond poppy seed loaf and peanut butter chocolate fudge! Totally want to buy again!

• Doug Schane★★★★★3 years ago

  My family and I visited this afternoon to buy some baked goods as we have heard many a good thing said about them. We bought a loaf of orange/date bread, a jar of spiced apple butter, and a package of almond cookies. The monk who assisted us was very friendly and allowed us to walk the grounds after we made our purchases. I have to say this place is serene. Very, very quiet and peaceful. So much so that I didn't even want to pull out my phone to take any photographs in order to preserve the tranquility of the visit. After we arrived back home, we sampled the wares we purchased and dare I say they tasted heavenly? Everything was delicious. Whoever is baking these delightful treats really knows how to please a pallete. We will definitely make another trip there in the future.

• Timothy Hair★★★★★a year ago

  I have not been to the Hermitage. However, I visited their "booth" at Christmas at Old Fort Concho. I bought a loaf of their Olive Oil bread. It is very good. The loaf feels heavy, but it doesn't taste it. It is soft and filling. Highly recommend trying it if you are a bread lover.

• Sean Desrochers★★★★★2 years ago

  This is a beautiful and peaceful please. The staues throughout are amazing. The artwork is wonderful. There are 3 separate chapels. It is very quiet, solemn and peace. Everyone is friendly! The gift store is amazing it have a variety of gift from baked goods, to statues, art work, books, religios prayer cards, bowls and serving dishes and so much more. Stop by you will love it!

• Teresa Cherry-Reese★★★★★7 years ago

  We had a great time. Love the gift shop. They also have a website where you can order goods and have them shipped, and the cost is reasonable. The goods they make are wonderfully exquisite. The monks are self-sufficient, self-supporting, and rely on the goods they sell to make a living. We watched an awesome chorale concert put on by the monastery and a local church. It was lit up, beautiful, and extremely peaceful. There was a light supper afterwards with snacks, drinks, and sampling of food. The atmosphere was very powerful, and we enjoyed being in a natural environment, with almost no noise or distractions. The stress of today's world blew away in the wind. I'm very grateful we went. It was a nice retreat.

• Rod Blankenship★★★★★a year ago

  Took my fiancé out to the hermitage and walked around and the peace and tranquility about the whole place is just astonishing, and they make some good treats. Especially the olive bread. God bless them all

Services and facilities

Events and programs

• Sunday Mass

  Weekly

  Open to visitors and the local community.

• Come-and-see visits

  As requested

  Opportunities for discernment and spiritual retreats.