Manjarin: Tomás Martinez de Paz, the last templar

[Ianinam]

Everybody who has walked the Camino Francés knows the albergue in Manjarin. An albergue for six pilgrims, without water and electricity, but full of hospitality.
Tomás Martinez de Paz started this albergue in 1993 in an old, abandoned school in Manjarin.
Recently the roof has collapsed, in 2024 an attempt will be made to restore the roof.
Tomás himself has had an open heart surgery and is not allowed anymore to climb the 1500 metres to his albergue.

In honour of him, the Dutch Confraternity of Saint James will publish an article about Tomás and his albergue in the next quarterly magazine for their members. Does anybody have a good photograph in good quality (at least 2 MB) of Tomás himself? we have lots of photographs of the direction post in front of the albergue indicating the way to Jerusalem, Santiago and Rome, but not a real good photo of Tomás himself, preferable dressed in his white tunic with a red cross on it.

If you have a good photograph, please send me a pm, so I can give you my e-mailaddress.
Keep my fingers crossed, many thanks in advance!

If anybody is interested in the full story, I can write it here (translated in English) after the 'Jacobsstaf' (the name of the magazine) is printed and sent to our members by the end of June.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I have a good photo of Thomas, but I am also in it. I will PM you.

 

[Ianinam]

Thank you Annie, I have seen it and I really appreciate it! But I am afraid this photo unfortunately does not meet the requirements for printing (2 MB). So we'll keep on looking....

 

[Anniesantiago]

Thank you Annie, I have seen it and I really appreciate it! But I am afraid this photo unfortunately does not meet the requirements for printing (2 MB). So we'll keep on looking....

I’m not a techie so I’m not sure what you mean by too small but I am working off my phone and probably have a larger copy on my computer at home. I can try sending it as a larger photo and see if that helps as well. Sorry if it doesn’t work out. It was such a nice experience.

 

[Anniesantiago]

In case anyone would like to see it. I thought it was a great photo of him and it was such a great night. I had stayed there back in 2006 and a young man showed up at dinner time in raggedy clothes and barefoot and was not speaking at all. Several of us, me included, were put off by the young man, but Tomas immediately recognize that he was walking a pilgrimage in silence. I learned a big lesson as I watched him gently take the man’s pack off of his back and see him at our table, as though he were Christ himself. It brings tears to my eyes now as I remember.

I also remember how he changed my viewpoint. When we first arrived and went up the stairs, there were mattresses on the floor of the attic. There was no running water, no water and no facilities except for a hole in the ground with a little shed around it but it remains one of my favorite nights on the Camino, Santiago, and all the years I’ve been walking I have other photos of that first night if anyone is interested.

Tonight I am in Los Arcos and I am sick.
This memory made me feel feel better

 

[mikelynch22]

I have one of him speaking to another pilgrim. How do I pm you?

 

[Susan Peacock]

Everybody who has walked the Camino Francés knows the albergue in Manjarin. An albergue for six pilgrims, without water and electricity, but full of hospitality.
Tomás Martinez de Paz started this albergue in 1993 in an old, abandoned school in Manjarin.
Recently the roof has collapsed, in 2024 an attempt will be made to restore the roof.
Tomás himself has had an open heart surgery and is not allowed anymore to climb the 1500 metres to his albergue.

In honour of him, the Dutch Confraternity of Saint James will publish an article about Tomás and his albergue in the next quarterly magazine for their members. Does anybody have a good photograph in good quality (at least 2 MB) of Tomás himself? we have lots of photographs of the direction post in front of the albergue indicating the way to Jerusalem, Santiago and Rome, but not a real good photo of Tomás himself, preferable dressed in his white tunic with a red cross on it.

If you have a good photograph, please send me a pm, so I can give you my e-mailaddress.
Keep my fingers crossed, many thanks in advance!

If anybody is interested in the full story, I can write it here (translated in English) after the 'Jacobsstaf' (the name of the magazine) is printed and sent to our members by the end of

I could probably email the quality you need if this one works and you message me

 

[dadaperegrino]

Hi!
I will attach one picture from June 2023!
I’d love to read the article as well, would you let us know here when it’s available?

Picture: Manjarin 2023

Everybody who has walked the Camino Francés knows the albergue in Manjarin. An albergue for six pilgrims, without water and electricity, but full of hospitality.
Tomás Martinez de Paz started this albergue in 1993 in an old, abandoned school in Manjarin.
Recently the roof has collapsed, in 2024 an attempt will be made to restore the roof.
Tomás himself has had an open heart surgery and is not allowed anymore to climb the 1500 metres to his albergue.

In honour of him, the Dutch Confraternity of Saint James will publish an article about Tomás and his albergue in the next quarterly magazine for their members. Does anybody have a good photograph in good quality (at least 2 MB) of Tomás himself? we have lots of photographs of the direction post in front of the albergue indicating the way to Jerusalem, Santiago and Rome, but not a real good photo of Tomás himself, preferable dressed in his white tunic with a red cross on it.

If you have a good photograph, please send me a pm, so I can give you my e-mailaddress.
Keep my fingers crossed, many thanks in advance!

If anybody is interested in the full story, I can write it here (translated in English) after the 'Jacobsstaf' (the name of the magazine) is printed and sent to our members by the end of June.

 

[Ianinam]

@dadaperegrino, thank you very much!
I will publish the article - translated in English - in this thread as soon as our 'Jacobsstaf' is sent to the members of the Nederlands Genootschap van Sint Jacob (Dutch Confraternity of Saint James). As you are from the Netherlands I suppose you can read Dutch; therefore I will also put a link to the PDF file on our website, where you can read the Jacobsstaf online. Or maybe you are a member? Then you will receive the Jacobsstaf anyway by post.

 

[Ianinam]

@ Susan Peacock, what a phantastic photo! Thank you. I will pm you my e-mailaddress,

 

[dadaperegrino]

Thanks!
I’m not a member, but I look forward to reading the article! Can I share it with a few friends as well?

@dadaperegrino, thank you very much!
I will publish the article - translated in English - in this thread as soon as our 'Jacobsstaf' is sent to the members of the Nederlands Genootschap van Sint Jacob (Dutch Confraternity of Saint James). As you are from the Netherlands I suppose you can read Dutch; therefore I will also put a link to the PDF file on our website, where you can read the Jacobsstaf online. Or maybe you are a member? Then you will receive the Jacobsstaf anyway by post.

 

[JillGat]

Everybody who has walked the Camino Francés knows the albergue in Manjarin. An albergue for six pilgrims, without water and electricity, but full of hospitality.
Tomás Martinez de Paz started this albergue in 1993 in an old, abandoned school in Manjarin.
Recently the roof has collapsed, in 2024 an attempt will be made to restore the roof.
Tomás himself has had an open heart surgery and is not allowed anymore to climb the 1500 metres to his albergue.

In honour of him, the Dutch Confraternity of Saint James will publish an article about Tomás and his albergue in the next quarterly magazine for their members. Does anybody have a good photograph in good quality (at least 2 MB) of Tomás himself? we have lots of photographs of the direction post in front of the albergue indicating the way to Jerusalem, Santiago and Rome, but not a real good photo of Tomás himself, preferable dressed in his white tunic with a red cross on it.

If you have a good photograph, please send me a pm, so I can give you my e-mailaddress.
Keep my fingers crossed, many thanks in advance!

If anybody is interested in the full story, I can write it here (translated in English) after the 'Jacobsstaf' (the name of the magazine) is printed and sent to our members by the end of June.

Thanks so much for the update on Tomas.
Yes, please post the story when it's done, thanks!!

 

[Ianinam]

Thanks!
I’m not a member, but I look forward to reading the article! Can I share it with a few friends as well?

Of course! If we use your photograph we will send you a hard-copy of the magazine to your address of course. I will let you know as soon as our editor-in-chief has made his choice.

 

[Ianinam]

Thsnks so much fpr the update on Tomas.
Yes, please post the story when it's done, thanks!!

Will certainly do that in this thread, translated in English.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

@Cuttooth posted a nice picture of Tomás here:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/camino-photos/pxl_20221021_074750655-jpg.12460/

 

[Ianinam]

@Rick of Rick and Peg: thank you, yes, he/she already sent it to me. Wonderwel photo!

 

[JabbaPapa]

Tomás himself has had an open heart surgery and is not allowed anymore to climb the 1500 metres to his albergue.

He was up there in late 2022.

This "not allowed" stuff is an old story, and whilst it was true for a while, AFAIK it isn't any more.

He has shut down his donativo welcome mainly because there is a lovely young woman who has opened a business selling drinks and snacks in the village, and he quite rightly has no wish to ruin things for her.

Sad to hear about the roof collapsing, and I would guess that's more from having no more young volunteers to help him day to day.

 

[Marian Patricia]

In case anyone would like to see it. I thought it was a great photo of him and it was such a great night. I had stayed there back in 2006 and a young man showed up at dinner time in raggedy clothes and barefoot and was not speaking at all. Several of us, me included, were put off by the young man, but Tomas immediately recognize that he was walking a pilgrimage in silence. I learned a big lesson as I watched him gently take the man’s pack off of his back and see him at our table, as though he were Christ himself. It brings tears to my eyes now as I remember.

I also remember how he changed my viewpoint. When we first arrived and went up the stairs, there were mattresses on the floor of the attic. There was no running water, no water and no facilities except for a hole in the ground with a little shed around it but it remains one of my favorite nights on the Camino, Santiago, and all the years I’ve been walking I have other photos of that first night if anyone is interested.

Tonight I am in Los Arcos and I am sick.
This memory made me feel feel better

There are some like this on Bing images

Everybody who has walked the Camino Francés knows the albergue in Manjarin. An albergue for six pilgrims, without water and electricity, but full of hospitality.
Tomás Martinez de Paz started this albergue in 1993 in an old, abandoned school in Manjarin.
Recently the roof has collapsed, in 2024 an attempt will be made to restore the roof.
Tomás himself has had an open heart surgery and is not allowed anymore to climb the 1500 metres to his albergue.

In honour of him, the Dutch Confraternity of Saint James will publish an article about Tomás and his albergue in the next quarterly magazine for their members. Does anybody have a good photograph in good quality (at least 2 MB) of Tomás himself? we have lots of photographs of the direction post in front of the albergue indicating the way to Jerusalem, Santiago and Rome, but not a real good photo of Tomás himself, preferable dressed in his white tunic with a red cross on it.

If you have a good photograph, please send me a pm, so I can give you my e-mailaddress.
Keep my fingers crossed, many thanks in advance!

If anybody is interested in the full story, I can write it here (translated in English) after the 'Jacobsstaf' (the name of the magazine) is printed and sent to our members by the end of June.

 

[Ianinam]

@Marian Patricia, I know, in fact: we already have this photo. But as we need it for printing, we need photo's of good quality, minimum 2 MB. Internet photo's are not good enough.

 

[Marian Patricia]

@Marian Patricia, I know, in fact: we already have this photo. But as we need it for printing, we need photo's of good quality, minimum 2 MB. Internet photo's are not good enough.

Possibly the source of the photo could be contacted for a higher resolution copy??

 

[JamesCarrion]

Thank you for this. I have often wondered what happened to Tomas. I met him in Manjarin on my first Camino in 2001. I probably have a photo, but only in print, so would need to digitize first.

 

[makingtrax]

In case anyone would like to see it. I thought it was a great photo of him and it was such a great night. I had stayed there back in 2006 and a young man showed up at dinner time in raggedy clothes and barefoot and was not speaking at all. Several of us, me included, were put off by the young man, but Tomas immediately recognize that he was walking a pilgrimage in silence. I learned a big lesson as I watched him gently take the man’s pack off of his back and see him at our table, as though he were Christ himself. It brings tears to my eyes now as I remember.

I also remember how he changed my viewpoint. When we first arrived and went up the stairs, there were mattresses on the floor of the attic. There was no running water, no water and no facilities except for a hole in the ground with a little shed around it but it remains one of my favorite nights on the Camino, Santiago, and all the years I’ve been walking I have other photos of that first night if anyone is interested.

Tonight I am in Los Arcos and I am sick.
This memory made me feel feel better

Hope u ate feeling better quickly. I'm in Rabanal with a bad cough after a dose if delhi belly but still trudging up and onwards. Bon camino Annie

 

[JamesX]

Everyone seems have great experience with him and I must be that few odd ones who was told off by him big time in 2023.
I was there in Oct 2023 and got lost and tried to cross his property to get to the front road. I was told off and he forced me to go back to where I came from where was the lady selling drinks...

 

[nathanael]

Everybody who has walked the Camino Francés knows the albergue in Manjarin. An albergue for six pilgrims, without water and electricity, but full of hospitality.
Tomás Martinez de Paz started this albergue in 1993 in an old, abandoned school in Manjarin.
Recently the roof has collapsed, in 2024 an attempt will be made to restore the roof.
Tomás himself has had an open heart surgery and is not allowed anymore to climb the 1500 metres to his albergue.

In honour of him, the Dutch Confraternity of Saint James will publish an article about Tomás and his albergue in the next quarterly magazine for their members. Does anybody have a good photograph in good quality (at least 2 MB) of Tomás himself? we have lots of photographs of the direction post in front of the albergue indicating the way to Jerusalem, Santiago and Rome, but not a real good photo of Tomás himself, preferable dressed in his white tunic with a red cross on it.

If you have a good photograph, please send me a pm, so I can give you my e-mailaddress.
Keep my fingers crossed, many thanks in advance!

If anybody is interested in the full story, I can write it here (translated in English) after the 'Jacobsstaf' (the name of the magazine) is printed and sent to our members by the end of June.

`sorry but after a day of walking one needs water bath.

 

[Flog]

`sorry but after a day of walking one needs water bath.

After a day of walking, all one really needs is a belly full of food and a bed.. everything else is a bonus.

Clumping your way across Spain in stinking boots and ignoring personal hygiene is one thing, going a single day without home comforts and a hot shower, really isn't the end of the world..

 

[Margaret Butterworth]

Camino Confidential

Slow roads to Santiago...and planning the next trip

caminoconfidential.blogspot.com

A nice photo of him towards the end of my blog entry.

 

[Ianinam]

Thank you @Margaret Butterworth! This is a nice one too, but we received already enough good photo's for our article and our photo-editor made his choice

 

[JabbaPapa]

Everyone seems have great experience with him

Last time I came across him was, well ...

He was walking one of his half-wolves, I said hallo to the "dog", it came up to me and started licking my hand, looking super happy.

I've never seen Tomás looking more shocked !!

 

[wynrich]

Last time I came across him was, well ...

He was walking one of his half-wolves, I said hallo to the "dog", it came up to me and started licking my hand, looking super happy.

I've never seen Tomás looking more shocked !!

Do you think the dog remembered you from a previous time? He must see thousands of people pass every year, never to return.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Do you think the dog remembered you from a previous time? He must see thousands of people pass every year, never to return.

IIRC wolves are better at this than dogs. It's possible.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Kim at the Stone Boat in Rabanal is a professional photographer and a friend of Manjarin and Tomas. I will tell her to get in touch.

 

[Ianinam]

Thank you @Rebekah Scott but we have good photo's now,, thanks to this wonderful forum and its very helpful members!
The text and photo's have to be submitted to the designer soon ...

 

[Ianinam]

Well, here they are, a few pages of our Dutch quarterly magazine 'Jacobsstaf' in which one of our editors wrote an article about Tomás Martínez de Paz, the last Templar of Manjarín.
In this article we used two photographs of forummembers, and again we thank them for their cooperation!

I will put here a translation in English of the text in the article; in several posts as the text is too long for one post.

Tomás Martinez de Paz
The last of the Templars

Two years ago the roof of his refugio collapsed and hospitalero Tomás is no longer allowed to climb to Manjarín due to a bad heart condition.

On one of the most difficult parts of the Camino Francés, in El Bierzo, after passing the Cruz de Ferro, pilgrims reach Manjarín. Thousands have smiled curiously about all those signposts pointing to Mexico, to Jerusalem, Santiago and Rome. 'I had never thought that this place would become so famous,’ Tomás, the hospitalero in Manjarín admits. ‘That one, indicating Mexico, I received from a pilgrim from that country’ he remembers. In the meantime he made place again for two more signposts, one to the Valley of Silence (next door, a stone's throw away) and the other towards Mecca.

 

[Ianinam]

FASCINATED BY THE TEMPLARS
Tomás Martínez de Paz, born in Murias de Rechivaldo, left Madrid in 1986 after working there during 35 years and left on camino from León. 'It took me seventeen years to complete the camino. So I laugh a little bit about those who hurry.' He stopped in Ponferrada, the city where - in the Templar castle - the headquarters of the Order of the Temple was located. He didn’t go further. He was fascinated by the history of this Order, which Order already kept him awake for hours in Madrid, because of the books he borrowed from the library of the Maoist Liga Comunista Revolucionaria de Trabajadores.
On August 15, 1986 he heard at midnight in Ponferrada a Gregorian chant from the walls of the Templar castle. ‘It was enough,’ he says, ‘to indicate my future to me.’ There, in El Bierzo, he fueled his passion for the Templars while he fed his bank account with various jobs.

 

[Ianinam]

For example, he was a shepherd of five hundred goats until the Malta fever - 'which is worse than the flu' – made him retire. In 1992 he withdrew as a hospitalero in the albergue of Jesús Arias Jato in Villafranca del Bierzo. There he saw the light that led him to starting an albergue at the most inhospitable and deserted place on the camino.

MEDIEVAL SETTING

In the holy year 1993 he opened his shelter in a school in Manjarín that was abandoned by the local population decades before. Once there had been a hospital for pilgrims, which was founded by the monk Gaucelmo, the same who had started the albergue in Foncebadón. It became a refugio with a medieval setting, with only room for six pilgrims. There was no water nor electricity. With the little resources he had, Tomás succeeded to get water into tanks and with a small generator he produced some electricity.

Over the years, Tomás became known for his practice, dressed in a white tunic with a red cross, to ring a bell when pilgrims passed by, just like the ancient Knights Templars did, to accompany the pilgrims on days with thick fog. The order consisted of religious people (praying, meditating) who had a military assignment (protection). The albergue Los Templarios in Manjarín therefore is founded as a monastery and its residents follow the guidelines of monastic life. Apart from the labora (work) they do not forget the ora (pray) which they practice with three daily prayers: ‘Each prayer consists of two parts, the first to honour the brothers of the Templars and to ask for inspiration for the soldiers of Christ and the warriors of the light, and the second to pray to the Virgin and the Archangel Raphael to protect the pilgrims'.

 

[Ianinam]

WE WANT NORMAL PEOPLE

The hospitaleros say they have a vocation to follow: 'In the past we devoted ourselves for former drug addicts, former alcoholics and former prisoners. And now also for pilgrims. In addition to taking care of their blisters and advising them on routes, we must get rid of those who harass them. There are not many of them, but they are professionals and they cause a lot of damage.' Tomás wanted to lend a hand to everyone who was looking for new hope, but he was very critical about the overcrowding of the camino, which was losing the true meaning of a pilgrimage. 'Real pilgrims come at the door, but also tourists and all kinds of colourful and even unwanted individuals, from pickpockets to followers of Satan, to the most obvious partygoers.' Despite his good will he has denied some of them shelter for this reason. Especially the ones who made him lose his patience. 'Here we want normal people, not people who leave at five o'clock in the morning and wake up everyone. That is a problem in all albergues and it irritates pilgrims, because if you deprive them from one or two hours of sleep, it doesn't feel good.'

One day a 75-year-old pilgrim who walked from Paris, was robbed of 600 euros and disappointed and upset in Astorga he took the bus home. He was exhausted. 'We must prevent such things to happen.'

 

[Ianinam]

HARD CRAFTS

Luis Peregrino, another pilgrim who visited the albergue of this unique hospitalero, remembers that 'although he has had his good and his bad days, Tomás never closed the door for someone; only for two sons of Satan with a pilgrim passport (sic!)'. And to Rebeca Fernández he explained that 'we have a place at the entrance, where we pray and where this kind of people usually cannot pass by'. Time is ruthless, and despite Tomás's best efforts over the years to make the place more comfortable and habitable it has always been a hard craft in the middle of the mountains and with uncertain resources. In April 2022 Tomás complained that hardly anyone stopped at his place anymore, not even for a coffee. 'People are in a hurry, they look at the road and do not even hear the bell.' After the roof had partially collapsed he and his helper Oso were forbidden to let people stay overnight. In the spring of 2024 an attempt will be made to fix it. But without Tomás. He has had an open heart surgery and therefore he is no longer allowed to climb the 1500 meters to Manjarin.

'But this is our house, we invite whoever we want. And we invite and serve those who need this most'.

Literature: Antoine Nolla, Manjarín, Una luz en el Camino de Santiago 2020


The First Crusade took place in 1096 - 1099, amongst others the French knight Hugo de Payns took part. In 1118 he and the Flemish knight Godfrey of Sint-Omer decided to found a monastic order, of which the purpose was the protection of the pilgrims and guarding the dangerous paths leading to the places of pilgrimage. They called it the Order of the Poor Soldiers of Christ and Solomon's Temple. Its members were called Templars.

 

[dadaperegrino]

Well, here they are, a few pages of our Dutch quarterly magazine 'Jacobsstaf' in which one of our editors wrote an article about Tomás Martínez de Paz, the last Templar of Manjarín.
In this article we used two photographs of forummembers, and again we thank them for their cooperation!

I will put here a translation in English of the text in the article; in several posts as the text is too long for one post.

Tomás Martinez de Paz
The last of the Templars

Two years ago the roof of his refugio collapsed and hospitalero Tomás is no longer allowed to climb to Manjarín due to a bad heart condition.

On one of the most difficult parts of the Camino Francés, in El Bierzo, after passing the Cruz de Ferro, pilgrims reach Manjarín. Thousands have smiled curiously about all those signposts pointing to Mexico, to Jerusalem, Santiago and Rome. 'I had never thought that this place would become so famous,’ Tomás, the hospitalero in Manjarín admits. ‘That one, indicating Mexico, I received from a pilgrim from that country’ he remembers. In the meantime he made place again for two more signposts, one to the Valley of Silence (next door, a stone's throw away) and the other towards Mecca.

Thank you for sharing this!!

 

[Tincatinker]

In April 2022 Tomás complained that hardly anyone stopped at his place anymore, not even for a coffee.

I'll risk a delete here: I think it's likely that every Pilgrim stopped at Manjarin. The others on the road have no need of what he offered. Who needs a Templar Knight when you've got Godgle, Correos and your credit-card provider watching over you every moment of every day

Aach. Thanks @Ianinam. I'll put down the mouse and step away from the computer now. Time.....

 

[Rachel from Seattle]

Everybody who has walked the Camino Francés knows the albergue in Manjarin. An albergue for six pilgrims, without water and electricity, but full of hospitality.
Tomás Martinez de Paz started this albergue in 1993 in an old, abandoned school in Manjarin.
Recently the roof has collapsed, in 2024 an attempt will be made to restore the roof.
Tomás himself has had an open heart surgery and is not allowed anymore to climb the 1500 metres to his albergue.

In honour of him, the Dutch Confraternity of Saint James will publish an article about Tomás and his albergue in the next quarterly magazine for their members. Does anybody have a good photograph in good quality (at least 2 MB) of Tomás himself? we have lots of photographs of the direction post in front of the albergue indicating the way to Jerusalem, Santiago and Rome, but not a real good photo of Tomás himself, preferable dressed in his white tunic with a red cross on it.

If you have a good photograph, please send me a pm, so I can give you my e-mailaddress.
Keep my fingers crossed, many thanks in advance!

If anybody is interested in the full story, I can write it here (translated in English) after the 'Jacobsstaf' (the name of the magazine) is printed and sent to our members by the end of June.

Following