The Hermitage, above New Bight, Cat Island

Today, Sunday, I could find no church in walking distance, aside from a Catholic church. Maybe I didn't walk far enough.

The reason we had anchored off New Bight, however, was to go see the Hermitage, which was built on the highest mountain in the Bahamas, at 206 feet of elevation. I told Allen that he could write on his "what did I do this summer?" that he climbed the highest mountain in the country, and visited an old monastary!

John Hawes, aka Father Jerome, 1876-1956 was born in England and schooled as an architect, before studying theology. He became a missionary, and went through the Bahamas rebuilding storm ravaged churches, replacing the wooden structures with stone ones. I may be shortening history to the point of inaccuracy, but, he then went to Australia as a bush missionary, before returning to the Bahamas.

At some point after a heart attack, at age 62, he retired to Cat Island and built The Hermitage. I have read several differing reports about it being a scaled down monastary, but I believe it was his place, built after the architecture of some famous monastary I'd never heard of. Most importantly, it was built by one man, out of hand hewn rock. You can see it as you enter the coast.

Visiting the place today was a GREAT experience for me. I was impressed on several levels.

Firstly, as you climb the mountainside, Father Jerome had built the Stations of the Cross. Not coming from the Catholic faith, I can not explain the symbolism of each, but, being a Christian, I pondered each station. The stations were hand carved in stone, and every visitor to the place finds reason to pause at each. (You are climbing up the side of a steep hill, and ready to pause for any reason!) At the station where Christ fell, you are standing at the bottom of steep steps, already a little weary, and looking upward to the cross before you. It touched my spirit.

Secondly, as you arrive at his "Hermitage", I marvel at the thoughtfulness of the practicality of the architecture. The buildings consist of a place to sleep, a place to eat, a place to bathe, a place to worship and pray, and I think, a place to work. The roofs on the structures were all designed to deflect rain water to a circular drainage, hewn in the rock, and a routed to a cistern.

The ventilation through the small buildings was fantastic, so that I believe a breeze from any direction, (and you would normally have one at this highest point) flowed through the buildings.

The buildings consisted of a bell tower, a chapel, small living quarters, a separate kitchen/bread oven.

The chapel and bell tower are prominent from offshore, as well as a cross I suspect used to be, before the hurricane last year broke off the huge wooden cross at its cemented into the rock base.

From the vantage point of the chapel, I believe the man must have prayed for the town below, and now, long after his death, everyone who looks in that direction should be reminded of one man's love for the people, and God's magnificant love for them.

If you are ever in Cat Island, take the trip to see the structures, and the stations of the cross. But, plan on spending enough time there for meditation as you ponder God's love, and pray for the people of this area that Father Jerome loved.

BTW, bow as you enter the chapel... I know, its not a Protestant thing, but you'll about knock yourself out in the doorway if you don't. I have a huge lump in the top of my head, and the blow brought me to my knees. The stone arch is worm with other folks making the same mistake.