About Us
What we offer
Our Story
Autism Consecrated was founded in 2020 by Father Mark Nolette, an autistic Catholic priest, and Aimée O’Connell, an autistic Lay Carmelite.
We bring to this apostolate our lived experience, our areas of expertise, and our desire to serve God through our autism. Our purpose is to be a living example of autism’s belonging in the Body of Christ, and to help others realize their own value and place as autistic members of the Church. We offer prayer, spiritual direction, vocational support, consultation to parishes and communities, and a place where autistic people may know they are loved and treasured by God. We are exclusively online, and we communicate exclusively through email and text. Our methods focus on individual connection, getting to know each person who reaches out to us individually. We are primarily rooted in prayer: for specific intentions brought to us, and in general, for better understanding and belonging of autistic people in the Church.
Our apostolate is designed to be a living example of how autistic people can sustainably engage in ministry and discipleship [which is to say, neurologically sustainable for our autistic needs]. The accommodations and flexibility we need are integrated into all that we do, taking into account the ways we comfortably communicate and receive and respond to information. For instance, our auditory processing gets easily overwhelmed with phone and video calls. We are greatly helped in any interaction by seeing words in type and having unpressured time to reflect and consider what we want to say before responding to questions. Large gatherings overwhelm our sensory processing, so we limit our outreach to one person at a time. As a priest-hermit and Lay Carmelite, it is a natural outflow of our respective vocations to offer our time in prayer for individuals who reach out to us, as well as the entire Church and the spiritual needs of autistic people worldwide.
We have intentionally designed Autism Consecrated to operate with as few resources as possible. We are 100% volunteer, and we rely on word of mouth and the Holy Spirit rather than investing our energy and money in marketing and promotions. We are not about numbers. We don’t get anywhere near as much attention as larger, incorporated ministries do, but that leaves us more energy to be fully present to those who reach out to us, and to maintain our commitment to intercessory prayer. Being able to offer God’s love to even one spiritually hungry person, and being in a position to pray for autism’s belonging in the Body of Christ, is more than sufficient to fulfill our mission day after day.
Another way we differ from other ministries is that we do not focus solely on children. There are thousands of autistic teens and adults who are spiritually hungry and would benefit from accommodations, but the majority of resources out there are geared toward autistic children and are rooted more in behavior management than spiritual development. We want autistic teens and adults to know they too are seen, heard, valued, and that their spiritual needs are of equal importance.
Most importantly, we want autistic people of all ages to know that the Church needs our ideas and gifts… that the Church is incomplete without our presence.
Our Platform
We are an online resource based in the United States, operated by volunteers, connecting people worldwide.
We accept free will offerings through PayPal; however, our ministry is not incorporated and does not engage in fundraising. That means donations are not tax-deductible, but what we do receive is greatly appreciated and goes directly toward defraying the costs of webhosting, postage and printing.
Our Team
Aimée O’Connell
M.S., C.A.S., T.O.Carm.
Autistic Lay Carmelite and Neurodiversity-, Trauma- and DBT-trained School Psychologist
Aimée O’Connell began the Mission of Saint Thorlak, now known as Autism Consecrated, in 2017 with the goal of discussing autism and spirituality via the example of its namesake, St. Thorlak of Iceland. Her work draws from contemplative spirituality, her master’s degree in school psychology and perspective as an autistic individual. Aimée has authored the Novena in Honor of Saint Thorlak, approved in 2018 by Bishop David B. Tencer of Reykjavik; and Thorlak of Iceland, a full-length contemporary biography of Iceland’s native saint. The written word is Aimée’s friend, as her auditory processing and situational mutism make it difficult for her to speak and keep up with real-time conversations, whether in person, on the phone, video conferences or in larger venues. She is grateful that we live in an age where email, text, closed captions and transcripts are readily available and allow her to participate alongside those who speak easily. Hyperlexia for the win!
Read more about Aimée’s Carmelite journey
Aimée and her husband have three grown neurodivergent children whom they have enjoyed homeschooling over the years, and who have consented to being mentioned in this way.
Father Mark P. Nolette
J.C.L.
Autistic Catholic Hermit-Priest and Spiritual Director
Fr. Mark Nolette is a priest of the Diocese of Portland, Maine. Ordained in 1987 and earning a degree in Canon Law in 1991, he has served in several parishes across the state of Maine while simultaneously holding multiple posts within the Tribunal of the Diocese of Portland. He served as Vice Chancellor between 1999 and 2001. As of his retirement in 2020, Father Mark is privileged to spend his time with God more fully now as a hermit-priest.
Father Mark was formally diagnosed autistic in 2014. In 2018, he accepted the role of spiritual director for the Mission of Saint Thorlak, now known as Autism Consecrated. He is author of The Scriptural Stations of the Cross for Autistic People published in 2019 and has written both for Harvest magazine and his personal blog, The Anchorite. An avid reader, Father Mark takes particular interest in current theological and philosophical works on personhood and disability, especially as applied to the Church’s perception of her autistic members. His book reviews can be found at Baylor Press and Homiletics and Pastoral Review.
Learn more about Father Mark in this article from Harvest Magazine.