By Emma Zaremba
Features Assignment Editor
While it’s important to enforce school spirit around campus, it’s equally important to brush up on the history of St. Bonaventure University now and again, as well as the people who made it the place we know and love today. The name Thomas Merton is often heard or associated with the Merton Center in the middle of campus. Yet “Merton’s Heart” also deserves credit for his reputation.
Merton’s Heart is a designated plot of land set between the mountains that act as a backdrop to campus. This previously cleared area seemed to form the shape of a heart from afar, and over time it was named after Merton because of his dedication and passion for the university.
Paul Spaeth, director of the Friedsam Memorial Library, reflected on the history of Merton’s Heart and how it came to be.
“As far as I know, the spot was cleared through the setting up of some kind of oil drilling operation there, the trees being cut down to facilitate this,” Spaeth said. “Afterwards, it was used as a pasture at times.”
The random spot of land was cleared for a routine task, but the constant traffic to the area quickly made it a popular attraction for the people of that time.
“Merton used to walk across the old railroad bridge on the west end of campus (the remains of which are still visible where the river trail turns) as did many other students on campus at the time,” Spaeth said. “Certainly, Merton walked through that space, as he did all through those hills on the other side of the river, even to the point of hiking up to the Marcus Cottage near Rock City Park which probably would have taken most of a day.”
The scenic space wasn’t named Merton’s Heart immediately, however.
“It was Father Irenaeus Herscher who began to refer to the site as Merton’s Heart saying that it had been a special place of meditation for him,” Spaeth said. “From there, all kinds of embellishments came about that were never formally encouraged but also never denied, including that the site was miraculously cleared and stayed cleared because of the sanctity of the spot.”
The spot has never been owned by the university, which has made it difficult for people interested to make the hike.
“It has always been in private hands,” Spaeth said. “Sometimes, the people who have owned the land have allowed others to visit, but it becomes the kind of thing where an owner doesn’t want to take on the liability involved with people marching up there all the time, since it’s not all that accessible.”
Land ownership isn’t the only problem people have encountered. Fear of the sacred area being trashed has kept people away or steered them in different directions more times than not.
“The other factor in not wanting many visitors is that there had been trouble from time to time with people disrespecting the land and leaving the site a bit trashed,” Spaeth said.
Spaeth illustrated exactly why Merton’s Heart is special to him.
“I have always taken ‘Merton’s Heart’ as a spot to commemorate Merton’s ‘Dark Night of the Soul,’ when he was struggling with his calling into religious life by taking walks in the beauty and the solitude of the hills which surround the campus,” Spaeth said. “It is a spot to commemorate Merton’s contemplative yearnings while still in the world.”
St. Bonaventure was literally Merton’s last stop before he entered life as a Trappist monk, according to Spaeth.
Toran Nigrelli, a sophomore marketing major, remembered his journey with two friends to Merton’s Heart last spring after finals were finished.
“I had wanted to climb it all year, but never had the time, so I figured it would be a great way to say goodbye to Bona’s before summer vacation,” Nigrelli said. “It was a pretty tough climb and definitely a workout, but the amazing view of the surrounding area once we arrived at the heart was well worth it.”
Like Spaeth, the trip to the heart resonated with Nigrelli as a symbolic experience.
“The spot symbolized the reward of completing a long and challenging journey,” Nigrelli said. “Just like my first year of college, the hike included tough obstacles to overcome, but support from good friends and hard work made it an unforgettable journey.”
Although it’s a hidden gem in the mountains behind campus, Merton’s Heart is a widely popular spot among the Bona community that shouldn’t be missed.
“I would recommend every student try to experience ‘Merton’s Heart’ during their time at St. Bonaventure,” Nigrelli said.
