Welcome to Saint Basil of the Desert Eastern Orthodox Hermitage
Christ is in our midst! He is and ever shall be!
Welcome to the official website of Saint Basil of the Desert Eastern Orthodox Hermitage, a sacred refuge of stillness, prayer, and spiritual renewal nestled amid the striking beauty and solitude of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona.
Rooted in the timeless tradition of Eastern Orthodox monasticism, our Hermitage is dedicated to the spiritual path of inner purification, ascetic discipline, and ceaseless prayer. Under the heavenly protection and spiritual inspiration of Saint Basil the Great, one of the great luminaries of Orthodox monastic life, we seek to follow the example of the ancient Desert Fathers, adapting their holy witness to the particular rhythms and needs of our time and place.
In this sunlit and wind-swept desert, so evocative of the ancient wildernesses of Judea and Egypt where the early Christian monastics sought solitude with God, we seek to dwell with Christ in God. The arid silence of the Sonoran landscape becomes for us a school of inner stillness, where the heart may be purified and the soul conformed more fully to the image of Christ. Here, amid the saguaro and stone, we follow the path of the Desert Fathers, cultivating a life of prayer, repentance, and simplicity.
Our daily rhythm is shaped by the sacred hours: the chanting of the Psalms, the ceaseless invocation of the Holy Name through the Jesus Prayer, the attentive reading of Holy Scripture, and the study of the writings of the Church Fathers. These are not mere disciplines, but lifelines, means by which we remain rooted in the presence of God and nourished by the life of the Church.
Alongside our prayer and study, we labor with our hands and hearts, engaging in various ministries and acts of outreach as expressions of Christ’s love for the world. Whether through assistance to the poor and unhoused, outreach to our Indigenous Brothers and Sisters, or our outreach to our Military and Veterans, we strive to live out the Gospel in the manner of Saint Basil the Great: with both contemplation and active charity, never separating love of God from love of neighbor.
In all things, our aim is to dwell in the peace of Christ, to abide in His grace, and to serve as humble witnesses to the Kingdom of God in the desert of this world.
We believe that every soul is called to communion with God, and that the monastic life, whether lived in the cloister or in the heart, offers a living witness to the transformative power of divine grace. Here at Saint Basil of the Desert Hermitage, we walk the path of repentance and simplicity, trusting in the mercy of Christ and seeking to reflect His love to all who cross our path, physically or virtually.
Whether you are an Orthodox Christian seeking deeper connection with the monastic tradition, a spiritual seeker drawn to the silence of the desert, or a friend and supporter of our mission, we invite you to explore our site. Within it you will find information about our daily prayer rule, our monastic vision, and ways to offer prayer requests or support our humble life of service.
Above all, may your visit here be a moment of grace and encouragement. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may the prayers of our Father among the Saints, Basil the Great, intercede for your journey toward the Kingdom.
With love in Christ,
The Monks of Saint Basil of the Desert
