The Hermitage
At the top of 206-foot Mt. Alvernia, the highest point in The Bahamas, The Hermitage is the final resting place of Father Jerome, who lived quite an astonishing life. Born John Hawes, he was an architect who traveled the world and eventually settled in The Bahamas. An Anglican who converted to Roman Catholicism, he built many structures, including this hermitage on Mt. Alvernia; St. Peter & St. Paul's Church in Clarence Town, Long Island; and the St. Augustine Monastery in Nassau. He retired to Cat Island to live out his last dozen years as a hermit, and his final, supreme act of religious dedication was to carve the steps up to the top of Mt. Alvernia. Along the way, he also carved the stations of the cross. At the summit, he built an abbey with a small chapel, a conical bell tower, and living quarters comprising three closet-size rooms. He died in 1956 at the age of 80 and was supposedly buried with his arms outstretched, in a pose resembling that of the crucified Christ.
The pilgrimage to The Hermitage begins next to the commissioner's office at New Bight at a dirt path that leads to the foot of Mt. Alvernia. Don't miss the slightly laborious climb to the top. The Hermitage provides a perfect place to pause for quiet contemplation, with glorious views of the ocean on both sides of the island. A caretaker clears the weeds around the tomb—islanders regard it as a shrine—and lights a candle in Father Jerome's memory.
