Fr. Thomas Mary of Jesus, Er. Carm.

September 17, 2020

The Hermits of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a Roman Catholic Religious Order reviving the charism and religious observance of the ancient Carmelite Fathers. Zealous for the glory of God, the spiritual renewal of the Church, and the sanctification and salvation of souls amidst a secular and hostile culture, they are consecrated to a contemplative religious life of prayer and sacrifice. Thus united to Christ Crucified and the omnipotent prayer of that Great High Priest, they intercede for persons especially in those matters which only prayer and divine grace can remedy: “Human activities cannot help us, but only the suffering of Christ. It is my desire to share in it” (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross). However, in addition to the hidden influence of the community’s prayers and sacrifices, the community’s priests offer a specific, zealous apostolate of theological education, moral formation, spiritual direction, conferences, and retreats, especially for Catholic leaders, thus invigorating the spiritual vitality of the heart of the Church and deepening the Christian formation of priests, religious, seminarians, and the lay faithful. The community also produces spiritual writings and works to re-publish out-of-print Catholic spiritual, theological, and devotional books for the intellectual education and spiritual edification of the faithful. In addition, the Hermits translate into the English language spiritual and theological works that do not yet have an extant English version. Thus, striving to emulate their saintly predecessors, the Hermits labor night and day to form the next generation of Catholics at the most vital levels of their Catholic faith and spiritual life in order to bring the light of Christ into the darkness of the modern world and effect authentic spiritual renewal in the Church. The community has its monastery foundation in Fairfield, Pennsylvania, where it is working to accommodate its many young vocations, with an average age of 27 years of age in the Order. The Hermits will be establishing its next monastery foundation elsewhere in the country once the foundation in Fairfield is complete.

 

Fr. Thomas Mary of Jesus, Er. Carm. was ordained a priest by His Eminence, Cardinal Raymond Burke, who is an outspoken supporter of the Hermits of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and their spiritual mission. Fr. Thomas Mary presently serves in the office of Prior in the community. Fr. Thomas Mary of Jesus entered the diocesan seminary upon his graduation from high school, but he eventually discovered a vocation to the contemplative religious life in addition to his priestly calling. He was formed as a religious according to the Carmelite spiritual heritage, and he has spent years in the study of spiritual theology and sacred doctrine, especially as articulated by the Thomistic School of Theology and the Carmelite Doctors of the Church. In addition to providing spiritual direction for numerous individuals, he has preached retreats and conferences for various parishes and lay and religious organizations and religious communities.