The Need: I am in need of $26,000 to pay off personal/medical debt so that I may pursue my vocational calling to become a canonical diocesan hermit.

The Call: Since I was a young child, I have felt called to give my whole self-gift to God and to His Church. Over the years I have discerned with an active order, a cloistered order, and most recently I was a member of a Secular Institute for 6 years. After I made my First Profession with the Institute, my Beloved Jesus began reminding me of a call that He had spoken to me about long ago: the life of a diocesan hermit. Now fully given to our Lord as a Bride of Christ, I could more easily hear His call to a life of deeper prayer, silence, solitude, and penance. As a diocesan hermit, I will be a witness to the Kingdom yet to come, where we will leave that of this world behind and be fully given to union with Christ who first loved us. I believe the eremitic life has always been the true home of my vocation but everything happens is His perfect way and timing. The formation I had in my other periods of discernment has given me a firm foundation of the evangelical counsels and how to live them out in the world, while not being of it. I will adopt a life of prayer for my Bishop, my Diocese, those I serve in spiritual direction, and for the whole world.

The reason for the debt: In 2019, I was working in my local Parish and was getting sicker and sicker as the weeks went on. It was later discovered that the Parish offices had three types of toxic mold. This exposure to mold led to a health crisis which led to the eventual diagnosis of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome which was (and is) compounded by the fact that I live in a rental home that has mold issues. Due to a rapid decline in health, I had to immediately quit my job at the Parish and had to start living solely off of donations I receive for providing spiritual direction. This also meant that I lost all forms of health insurance. This mix of personal and medical debt is now consolidated and payments are slowly being made. However, I cannot enter into formal formation for this vocation, nor rent move out of my current living situation, while having any amount of debt.

What is the current state of my vocational journey?

I have an Eremitic Plan of Life that I am living to the fullest extent that I am able in my current living situation. This includes praying the full Divine Office, greater solitude, an increase in times of silence, living the evangelical counsels of poverty/chastity/obedience as a privately vowed woman, and using the penance of living with a debilitating chronic illness as redemptive suffering as intercession God's people and His Church. I will make this Plan of Life and my current goals related to each available to those supporting my vocational journey upon request.

I am happy to answer any questions about my vocational journey, the financial debt, or anything else that may help you in your consideration of support.

My website for spiritual direction is: www.rootsandwingsministry.com

I am thankful for any prayers and support.

May God bless and keep you!

Meritt