Interested in the Monastic Life?
Begin discerning your journey with us.
Discerning a Calling to the monastic life with the St. Basil Orthodox Hermitage
We are grateful for your interest in exploring the sacred path of Eastern Orthodox monasticism with our Hermitage. The monastic life is a gift, a calling, and a lifelong offering to Christ, and we approach each inquiry with prayer, discernment, and deep respect.
At this time, we are able to consider applicants who meet the following criteria:
Requirements
1. Male Applicants Only
St. Basil Orthodox Hermitage is a male monastic community and can only accept male applicants.
For women, we warmly invite you to learn about the Orthodox Monastery of St. Brigid, our Monastic Mother House, which accepts both male and female applicants. Their information is at the bottom of this page.
2. Eastern Orthodox Christian
Applicants must be baptized and chrismated Eastern Orthodox Christians in good standing with their local parish.
Eligible applicants may be laypersons or ordained, married or single, and must be 21 years of age or older.
3. Proximity & Commitment
We are Dispersed Hermitage, meaning each Monk resided in their own house or apartment. We do gather at the main Hermitage House for various events listed below.
Applicants must reside within a 50-mile radius of the Tucson metropolitan area and be willing and able to travel regularly to the main Hermitage House for:
4. Financial Independence
The Hermitage cannot provide financial support to our Monks.
Applicants must be able to fully support themselves through all stages of their Monastic journey/life.
The Application & Discernment Process
1. Initial Contact
Your journey begins by completing the Get in Touch form, and expressing your interest in a monastic life. A member of our Vocations Team will respond to begin a prayerful conversation about your calling and initial discernment.
2. Reflection & Discernment
After prayer, reading, and personal reflection, if you feel led to continue, you may enter the process formally as an Inquirer.
3. Application Materials
As an Inquirer, you will be asked to submit:
4. Background Check*
All candidates must complete a background screening, including:
5. Personal Interview
Once the Background Check has come back and there are no issues found, the Inquirer must complete an in-person interview with the Senior Monk of the Hermitage as a required part of the discernment process.
6. Community Discernment
Upon completing the above steps, you will be invited to meet the Monks of the Hermitage and/or the Abbot of the Monastery Community of St. Brigid (Our Mother House)*
Acceptance into the Postulancy requires unanimous approval.
If approved, you will be welcomed into the Postulancy at the next assembly of our community or at a time determined by the Abbot and Vocations Team.
7. Final Approval & Entry
Once reviewed and approved, you will formally begin your Postulancy and continue on the path of discernment toward the monastic life.
Important Notes*
Feeling Called? Begin Your Journey.
If you believe God may be calling you to the monastic life and wish to explore this path further, we encourage you to contact us through the Get in Touch page.
We look forward to walking with you in prayer and discernment as you seek God’s will for your life.
Are you not in the Tucson Metro area but are still interested in exploring a Monastic Vocation?
Check out the Orthodox Monastic Community of St. Brigid (Male & Female Monastics)
The Monastery of St. Brigid (the Mother House) is located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area but they have diasporal monastics throughout the USA.
Their application process is below:
You can make initial contact to express your interest by visiting: https://www.ocsb-monastics.org/contact
Begin discerning your journey with us.
Discerning a Calling to the monastic life with the St. Basil Orthodox Hermitage
We are grateful for your interest in exploring the sacred path of Eastern Orthodox monasticism with our Hermitage. The monastic life is a gift, a calling, and a lifelong offering to Christ, and we approach each inquiry with prayer, discernment, and deep respect.
At this time, we are able to consider applicants who meet the following criteria:
Requirements
1. Male Applicants Only
St. Basil Orthodox Hermitage is a male monastic community and can only accept male applicants.
For women, we warmly invite you to learn about the Orthodox Monastery of St. Brigid, our Monastic Mother House, which accepts both male and female applicants. Their information is at the bottom of this page.
2. Eastern Orthodox Christian
Applicants must be baptized and chrismated Eastern Orthodox Christians in good standing with their local parish.
Eligible applicants may be laypersons or ordained, married or single, and must be 21 years of age or older.
3. Proximity & Commitment
We are Dispersed Hermitage, meaning each Monk resided in their own house or apartment. We do gather at the main Hermitage House for various events listed below.
Applicants must reside within a 50-mile radius of the Tucson metropolitan area and be willing and able to travel regularly to the main Hermitage House for:
- Novice training
- Communal gatherings
- Prayer services
- Liturgical participation
4. Financial Independence
The Hermitage cannot provide financial support to our Monks.
Applicants must be able to fully support themselves through all stages of their Monastic journey/life.
The Application & Discernment Process
1. Initial Contact
Your journey begins by completing the Get in Touch form, and expressing your interest in a monastic life. A member of our Vocations Team will respond to begin a prayerful conversation about your calling and initial discernment.
2. Reflection & Discernment
After prayer, reading, and personal reflection, if you feel led to continue, you may enter the process formally as an Inquirer.
3. Application Materials
As an Inquirer, you will be asked to submit:
- A current résumé (CV)
- A comprehensive written statement describing your desire for monastic life, your spiritual journey, and how you believe your presence would enrich the mission of the Hermitage
4. Background Check*
All candidates must complete a background screening, including:
- U.S. Department of Justice Sexual Offender Registry
- General Background Check
- Jurisdictional ecclesiastical verification (if you are ordained to minor or major orders within an Orthodox Jurisdiction)
5. Personal Interview
Once the Background Check has come back and there are no issues found, the Inquirer must complete an in-person interview with the Senior Monk of the Hermitage as a required part of the discernment process.
6. Community Discernment
Upon completing the above steps, you will be invited to meet the Monks of the Hermitage and/or the Abbot of the Monastery Community of St. Brigid (Our Mother House)*
Acceptance into the Postulancy requires unanimous approval.
If approved, you will be welcomed into the Postulancy at the next assembly of our community or at a time determined by the Abbot and Vocations Team.
7. Final Approval & Entry
Once reviewed and approved, you will formally begin your Postulancy and continue on the path of discernment toward the monastic life.
Important Notes*
- A $120 administrative contribution is requested for onboarding costs, which includes the cost of the Background Checks. Financial assistance may be available for those in need.
- All applications for the St. Basil Orthodox Hermitage must also be reviewed and approved by the Abbot and/or Vocations Team of the Orthodox Monastery Community of St. Brigid, our Monastic Mother House.
Feeling Called? Begin Your Journey.
If you believe God may be calling you to the monastic life and wish to explore this path further, we encourage you to contact us through the Get in Touch page.
We look forward to walking with you in prayer and discernment as you seek God’s will for your life.
Are you not in the Tucson Metro area but are still interested in exploring a Monastic Vocation?
Check out the Orthodox Monastic Community of St. Brigid (Male & Female Monastics)
The Monastery of St. Brigid (the Mother House) is located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area but they have diasporal monastics throughout the USA.
Their application process is below:
- Our application process begins with filling out the contact us form (see link below) and initiating a discussion about your interest in your monastic calling and discernment with a member of our Vocations Team.
- Any individual who identifies as an Eastern Christian or possesses an Eastern theological understanding, and is in good standing within their community, whether they are a layperson or ordained, married or single, and aged 21 years or older, is eligible to consider becoming a member of the Orthodox Monastery Community of Saint Brigid.
- After a period of study and reflection, you decide to move forward, you will enter the Application Process as an Inquirer.
- Background Check Verification: As part of the application process, all candidates are required to complete a background check, including the US Department of Justice Sexual Offender Registry, through our jurisdiction’s verification process. Candidates will not be considered until this item is completed.
- Once your application is submitted and reviewed, and approved, you will be welcomed into the Postulancy during the next assembly gathering of our Community, or as decided by the Abbot and Vocations Team.
- We accept applications to join the Monastery Community only from those who have been first vetted as an Inquirer. There is a $120 contribution to go towards for administrative costs of the on-boarding process, and scholarships may be available.
You can make initial contact to express your interest by visiting: https://www.ocsb-monastics.org/contact