Founded in 1994, the Little Brothers of the Eucharist are a men's contemplative and eremitical community – faithful to the Catholic Church, obedient to the Holy Father and lovingly devoted to the Blessed Mother. Inspired by the Desert Fathers and the life and writings of
Bl. Charles de Foucauld, the Little Brothers are completely consecrated to God through the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, made according to
Canon 603. Despite our weaknesses and sinfulness, we strive to conform our lives to that of Jesus, “meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:28).
We have two places of hermitage: St. Probace, located in the south of France in the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon; and Rancho Maria, located in the south of Texas in the diocese of Corpus Christi.
But isn’t a ‘community of hermits’ an oxymoron? Not at all, because throughout the history of the Church there have been groupings of hermits who have sought to find God in silence and solitude, but who needed spiritual direction and support because they could not lead a ‘purely’ eremitical life. A grouping of hermits came to be known as a
laura, which is what we are aspiring to live.
We feel called to pray and to work for a renewal of contemplative life in the Church today. Please join us in this endeavor, and we hope you enjoy this site.
Canon 603 — §1. In addition to institutes of consecrated life, the Church recognizes the eremitic or anchoritic life by which the Christian faithful devote their life to the praise of God and the salvation of the world through a stricter withdrawal from the world, the silence of solitude, and assiduous prayer and penance.
§2. A hermit is recognized by law as one dedicated to God in consecrated life if he or she publicly professes in the hands of the diocesan bishop the three evangelical counsels, confirmed by vow or other sacred bond, and observes a proper program of living under his direction.
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Can. 603 — § 1. Praeter vitae consecratae instituta, Ecclesia agnoscit vitam eremiticam seu anachoreticam, qua christifideles arctiore a mundo secessu, solitudinis silentio, assidua prece et paenitentia, suam in laudem Dei et mundi salutem vitam devovent.
§ 2. Eremita, uti Deo deditus in vita consecrata, iure agnoscitur si tria evangelica consiia, voto vel alio sacro ligamine firmata, publice profiteatur in manu Episcopi dioecesani et propriam vivendi rationem sub ductu eiusdem servet. |
"The Greek word laura is employed by writers from the end of the fifth century to distinguish the monasteries of Palestine of the semi-eremitical type. The word signifies a narrow way or passage, and in later times the quarter of a town. We find it used in Alexandria for the different portions of the city grouped around the principal churches; and this latter sense of the word is in conformity with what we know of the Palestine laura, which was a group of hermitages surrounding a church.
Although the term laura has been almost exclusively used with regard to Palestine, the type of monastery which it designated existed, not only there, but in Syria and Mesopotamia; in Gaul; in Italy; and among the Celtic monks. The type of life led therein might be described as something midway between purely eremitical inaugurated by St. Paul the first hermit- and purely cenobitical life. The monk lived alone though depended on a superior, and was bound only to the common life on Saturdays and Sundays, when all met in church for the solemn Eucharistic Liturgy."
- R. Urban Butter – The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)
