Preamble

Father Charles Brandt was a Roman Catholic priest and environmental activist who died in 2020. Animated by a deep love for God, he lived as a solitary hermit for more than 55 years in Black Creek, British Columbia. As one of only a few hermits to ever be ordained to the priesthood, Father Charles said the daily Mass and kept the liturgy of the hours. Yet, he also had a daily practice of walking prayer in the beloved temperate rainforest he called home. Father Charles supported himself as a bookbinder and expert at rare book restoration. As an artist and artisan, Father Charles embodied the beauty of craft, quality craftsmanship and the slowness of work well done.

Father Charles’ life and thought were in deep dialogue with the world’s scientific, religious and mystical traditions. He also lived a life that balanced contemplation with ecological concern and action. Like his spiritual mentors Thomas Merton (1915-1968) and Thomas Berry (1914-2009), Father Charles believed that many contemporary ecological issues can be traced back to a lost sense of the sacredness of the natural world. While critics see contemplative spirituality as a means of escape from the world, Father Charles sought connection with the Divine through his engagement with what we call a Contemplative Ecology. For Father Charles this meant that the natural world is charged with the presence of the Divine and is therefore holy.

His deep desire was to restore the relationship between humanity and the sacred commons of the earth community for a livable future. He therefore believed that action and contemplation are synergistic and best expressed when they are rooted in a sense of wonder for and kinship with the more-than-human world. This vision fueled not only his contemplative practice, but his work with global conservation organizations as well as local ones concerned with the health of the Tsolum and Oyster Rivers, where Father Charles frequently prayed and fished for salmon. Father Charles’ vision was also of an ‘Integral Ecology’ meaning that a consistent environmental ethic must include care for the poor and vulnerable among us.

Therefore with this lofty example in our hearts, the mission and purpose of the Brandt Oyster River Hermitage Society are as follows:

1. Preserving the work and memory of our beloved Father Charles which are held by the hermitage structure, the surrounding forest property and within the hearts of the wider community of his friends and students.
2. Sharing Father Charles’ vision for a Contemplative Ecology with the Comox Valley community and the wider world.

We humbly seek to carry out this mission through three Avenues of Action: Hospitality, Deep Listening and Transformative Learning.

Hospitality: The Society will maintain the Brandt Forest Hermitage as a sacred space and home for a long-term contemplative in residence who embodies the values that Father Charles lived and taught here.

Deep Listening: The Society will offer the Brandt Forest Hermitage to the public as an occasional space for engaging in deep listening through a variety of contemplative practices.

Transformative Learning: The Society will organize frequent in person and online talks and workshops related to art, craft, inter-religious dialogue, ecological health and literacy and contemplative ecology.