The Hermitage

The Hermitage, a single-person dwelling in the woods, lends itself to a more solitary retreat. The Hermitage is a bright, lofty room with a kitchenette and screened-in porch. The setting is ideal for those desiring more solitude. It is a place where one may enter into the emptiness of isolation and silence to be encountered by Spirit.

The Hermitage features:

• single, high-ceiling room with tongue and groove pine walls

• a stained glass window

• A kitchenette – with sink, refrigerator and microwave – stocked with coffee, tea, fruit and breakfast food

• a multicolored quilt covers the bed

• rocking chair

• small writing/dining table

• bay window faces through the trees toward Little Stanchfield Lake, which is visible in the winter.

• Attached to the building is a screened-in porch with a reading area.

“I will lure you into the desert, and there I will speak to your heart.” ~ Hosea 2:14

The concept of a Hermitage goes back to ancient times when the Desert Fathers and Mothers chose to live apart from the everyday milieu, not only for prayer and meditation, but also to provide an alternative perspective to that of the dominant culture. Solitary retreat is not an escape from reality; instead, it can bring clarity and understanding, awakening our senses to a deeper reality. Such time alone is often thought of as a “desert experience.” ARC has chosen to name the Hermitage “Poustinia,” a Russian Word meaning “desert”.