New Hermitages and Religious Orders in Minnesota

Terry of Abbey-Roads, is musing on the appearance of a half dozen or so small orders in Minnesota in the recent past and how they came to be and what their role is.

[snip] In the past 25 years or so, many others seem to have been called to found their own religious orders or hermitages. Many seem to have similar 'calls' - and many seem to have been called to found Carmelite hermitages specifically. There is a proliferation of so-called 'new orders' following the primitive rule of Carmel, the Rule of St. Albert, or something similar. In Minnesota alone I know of at least 5 or 6 different groups - all independent of one another, all claiming to be Carmelite. I assume they may do that canonically, with the local Ordinary's permission. At various times in the history of the Church this has happened, the emergence of numerous and varied religious orders, the Church supressed some, forced others to join established orders, but they eventually reigned them in. Yet now in the United States we witnes hermitages scattered all over the country, in addition to new orders. What is going on? [snip] Read More