Meng-hu – Page 22 – Hermits around the web

August 5, 2023August 5, 2023

“Willard: The Hermit of Gully Lake” (film)

Based on the book The Hermit of Gully Lake: The Life and Times of Willard Kitchener MacDonal, by Joan Baxter, is the 2007 film titled Willard: The Hermit of Gully Lake, produced by APL Films, directed by Amy Goldberg, and narrated by Randy Bachman.

Description (from the film): “In the 1940’s American-born Willard MacDonald jumped his troop train heading to WWII. Fearing authorities he lived as a hermit deep in the northern wilderness of Nova Scotia, Canada for more than 60 years inspiring folklore for generations.” Trailer on Vimeo.

URL: https://vimeo.com/168836376

July 30, 2023August 26, 2023

Fr. Carlos, Spanish hermit

The Spanish news site La Coz de Galicia, offers an article titled “El padre Carlos, el hombre al que Dios trajo de Getafe a Pontevedra para ser ermitaño a los 44 años”, which translates as “Father Carlos, the man called by God from Getafe to Pontevedra in order to become a hermit at age 44.” Getafe is a city near Madrid where Fr. Carlos was born and grew up. Pontevedra is within Galicia, the city where, after ordination as a priest and permission to live as a hermit, is the hermit’s home.

Pontevedra is on the Santiago de Compostela route. Fr. Carlos lives in a room of the rectory in Alba, greeting pilgrims, conversing and counseling visitors, but spending most of the day in silence. To the visiting journalist, explaining his daily routine and 18 hours of daily silence he exclaims: “How can I be so lucky!” Includes short video.

URL: https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/pontevedra/pontevedra/2023/06/25/padre-carlos-hombre-dios-trajo-getafe-pontevedra-ermitano/0003_202306P25C7992.htm

July 22, 2023August 26, 2023

Fr. Pablo, Spanish hermit

News site ABC de Sevilla (Spain) features a report about the hermit Pablo Gordillo titled “Pablo Gordillo, ermitaño: “El hombre ha sido creado para la vida eterna,:” translated as “Pable Gordillo , hermit: We have been created for eternal life.” The article profiles the hermit’s work and presents a brief interview.

Gordillo holds a law degree but soon after practicing he found himself more interested in the spiritual life. He serves in the Camaldolese Hermits of Monte Corona in Andalusia, Spain, which is preparing the foundation of a second contemplative community in Andalusia. The original foundation is in the province of Burgos, where the Camaldolese hermitagei is composed of twelve small houses, one per hermit.

The rest of the article is a more personal interview of the hermit, asking him about his perception of the contemplative life, of good and evil, of society and the world.

URL: https://sevilla.abc.es/andalucia/cordoba/pablo-gordillo-ermitano-hombre-creado-vida-eterna-20230618084146-nts.html

July 10, 2023August 5, 2023

Ornamental hermits

Smithsonian Magazine recaps the histoy of the ornamental hermit in 18th-century Britain in an article titled “Ornamental Hermits Were 18th-Century England’s Must-Have Garden Accessory.” Includes the comments of Gordon Campbell and other historians.

URL: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/ornamental-hermits-were-18th-century-englands-must-have-garden-accessory-180982469/

June 22, 2023August 22, 2023

Mystery of hermit Frere Robert

The French-language online news site Corse Matin offers the article “Du Sartenais au Valinco, sur les traces mystérieuses de l’ermite frère Robert,” which translates as ” From Sartenais to Valinco, in the mysterious footsteps of the hermit Brother Robert.”

Brother Robert (1898-1943) was born in Belgium and lived in the French canton of Sartenais-Valinco . He became a surveyor but soon visited the local bishop requesting to become a monk. The bishop sent him to Corsica where at first Robert lived in a cabin, but soon moved into a cave. He corresponded with the bishop, trying to convince him to accept the monk as a religious hermit. The bishop obtained the pope’s permission and assigned Robert to a parish chapel. Robert complied but took up dwelling in another cave, walking the two hours daily to the church.

In 1941, Corsica was occupied by the Italian army and Robert went to live in the hermitage of San Michele di l’Ortolu. It was his last known dwelling-place. Brother Robert disappeared in 1943. Only recently have informal groups with historical interests retraced the hermit’s life, the caves, the documents associated with the church, and the grounds and paths he hiked. But the story of Frere Robert’s last days remains a mystery.

URL: https://www.corsematin.com/articles/du-sartenais-au-valinco-sur-les-traces-mysterieuses-de-lermite-frere-robert-142679