Hi, Henrik —

Thanks for the question.

You said:

• What does Catholicism say about the Desert Fathers/Mothers and people who are not monks or nuns?

I'm not aware of the term "desert mothers" in Church or secular history; maybe my colleagues have heard of the term.

I found this on Catholic Culture on the Desert Fathers:

• Dictionary — Fathers Of The Desert
  

Fathers Of The Desert

The hermits and monks of the early Church who developed religious life from its Gospel origins and laid the groundwork for all future institutes of Christian perfection. Since most of them lived in the deserts of Egypt, from the third through the fourth centuries, they are called Desert Fathers. The standard collection of the lives of these Fathers is in ten volumes and contains the biographies of Sts. Paul, Anthony, and Hilarion, and of the women religious Sts. Eugenie, Euphrasia, Euphrosyne, Mary the Egyptian, and many others.

These books on the Desert Fathers also may provide some insight; I found them on Amazon.

What the Church says on people who are not monks or nuns (I assume you are not talking about the ordained clergy) can best be summed up in the Apostolic Exhortation:

• Christifideles Laici (On the Laity) by Blessed Pope John Paul II

Hope this helps,

Mike