Translation of a blog in Spanish:
Thomas, the Last Templar
11/9/2009 10:03:04
The climb to the mountains of Leon represents one of the toughest tests for the pilgrim who comes with his tongue out to Cruz del Ferro, where, according to tradition, placed her tribute in the form of small stone. A little further down is the hostel Manjarín, ruined village. One gets the feeling that this place is out of this world, we need to see it to believe it ... its what will principal occupant early in Sevilla. Stay tuned.
Thomas, the hospitable, has earned the enmity of the political leaders of the area. The hostel Manjarín not listed, in fact, in the official network of shelters. Thomas is, much to his dismay, a type controversial, controversial ...... maybe yes, but true.
He lived in Madrid, belonged to the Revolutionary Organization of Workers (ORT), but left the city and came to live in Ponferrada, where in the company of his unconditional Ramon and Miguel founded the Friends Templar. Since then lives in these summits, among chickens and geese throughout the year. Prior also had two dogs, poisoned long ago by, he said, "some evil spirit."
It takes 18 years hospitable, sharing dinner with the pilgrims who poke its nose through the port, which calls ringing the bell of the hostel, like the ancient monks did Templars, in order to guide the pilgrims in the days of thick fog. Next door in an old caravan, lived his friend Paulinus, Asturian, hemiplegic and almost hermit.
I recall Born Murias of Rechibaldo, Peace Tomas Martinez, "The Last Templar" as he likes to be called, admits it was a spiritual calling that led him to engage in hospitable for 17 years and leads by example in Manjarín the hostel.
His greatest satisfaction is to give shelter to pilgrims on the highway to Compostela. Fighter as few, Tomas Martinez puts his willpower to any contingency, and even rudeness. You know you live well being honest with himself, and with which welcomes. Shelters and hostels on the
Camino de Santiago exist in a good number, but few like Manjarín. From the June 27, 1993, Holy Year, Tomas Martinez is responsible for providing support and shelter to thousands of pilgrims who year after year make stops in the upper. Never close the door on anyone.
Your vocation is born precisely from having walked the
Camino de Santiago and having lived all its essence. Hence his goodbye to Madrid and his work to move to Manjarín and thence preaching poverty, help the pilgrim road to Santiago. Means precisely that poverty takes, as he aims to make do with little more than 300 euros a month to live and care for shelter < > Do not get tired of saying that however much disqualifies you attack or he will soldier on, "why mine is spiritual and that resists any attack."
Although he has had his good days and bad Thomas has never closed the door to anyone "only two children of satan with ID" comments. Keep track of how many pilgrims have passed through the home, both to stay an extra day to rest as to seal the credential, a total of 15,000.
His life in Manjarín has countless anecdotes, most of them good and keeping with special memories and only to friends and those pilgrims who believes good people are the account. "Precisely it was a day we had adulterated the source water filling with trash and salamanders. Tired of injustice so I decided to close the hostel. It was on July 19, 1999 and had four raised and another thirteen sleeping. I was out and I was told again that there was a new Pilgrim, a woman who had arrived at twelve o'clock. The first surprise was when he spoke to a man with muscular problems and touching just took the pain. It was wonderful. But best not happened. Just that day, with so many people, we were all calmer. I wanted to know of this woman and what was my surprise when I discovered I had started the Camino in Jerusalem on Christmas Day. That and the aura he radiated was something magical that still remember. Days later I was visited by a friend who brought me a sword Templar and a picture of the apparition of the Virgin in El Escorial. My surprise was great when I saw his face, it matched perfectly with that of the said pilgrim >>.
It is a reminder of the many carefully keeping Thomas in his hostel Manjarín, rebuilt to help thousands of pilgrims, which despite its apparent humility always find a space to recover from fatigue.
Tomás Martínez de Paz is the spitting image of the real hospitable, of an ordinary person with which is rewarding to talk, in short, a rich man in spirit for his greatest pride is to help others.
SOURCE: vivenciasdelcamino.blogspot.com
