I really want to do this. I’ll never be able to complete it by foot, but by using an e bike, it’s a definite possibility now. https://onepeterfive.com/el-camino-de-santiago-pilgrimage-story/ El Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrimage Story Father Kenneth Allen August 31, 20202 Comments “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:6 I’m a walker. I walk all over the place. As a teen, I walked almost two miles to high school every morning. I took up “city hiking” in my twenties, long before it became “urban hiking.” These days, I still walk and cycle. At times in my life I get the feeling the Lord is calling me to walk a bit off the beaten path, which takes discernment. So I’ve simply learned to wait in my cloud of unknowing, as prayerfully as one might, until all is revealed. That was certainly the case when I entered seminary armed with the words, “Thy will be done!” It was also the case in my various travels to South America, because for the life of me traveling to South America alone, no matter who was supposed to meet me where, was always a bit nerve-wracking. And while I’m not one to test the Lord, one certainly has to test ideas by fire to determine fully if they are from the Lord. And so it was that when a priest friend and hiking buddy floated the idea of walking the Camino de Santiago, I decided to test the matter prayerfully. The desire was there. I had wanted to walk the great pilgrimage route since I was a child. And I could reasonably carve the time for it out of my schedule. There wasn’t anything standing in the way. I mentioned it to my parishioners, who all greeted the idea with such enthusiasm that I became suspicious. But it was in those still moments before the dawn, when the world lies quiet, and the mists swirl gently about while the birds start to sing, that I kept feeling the warmth in my heart that I’ve learned to associate with God’s confirmation in my life. Little did I know what all of this would entail. But isn’t that usually the way when following the Lord’s will? The Cross of Saint James My friend Fr. Jimmy and I were in two altogether different places physically, spiritually, and mentally. He had just turned 50, was about to start a new assignment, and having a long time devotion to St. James, was looking forward to the physicality of a long walk to St. James’ resting place at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. I have my own devotion to St. James and even adopted his cross as a reminder to be strong in the Lord at an exceptionally difficult time in my life. At the time, I had no idea it was the Santiago Cross. Yet even then, I somehow knew that the Lord was bringing closure to that time in my life, and healing to my spirit. The Santiago Cross, the cross of St. James, became a symbol to me — a symbol of triumph. As for the Camino, I had just celebrated 10 years as a priest. I had also recently thrown my knee out and, consequently, was completely sedentary at the time I started praying about the trip. We would have just under three weeks to complete the pilgrimage, and we would be walking about 200 miles over varied terrain. I’m a walker! What could go wrong? I watched the movie “The Way.” I joined online discussion groups about the Camino. I researched all things lightweight and journey-ready: which shoes were best, how much clothing to bring, and what to pack and what not to. I did my best to be very present to my parishioners in the weeks prior to departure, and prepared as best I might. I spent weeks getting the supplies and packing them just right, all the time deep in prayer. Before I knew it, it was time to go. In the Beginning… Being a priest is challenging at times, but it’s certainly not without its perks. We flew into Madrid and stayed at a residence operated by the Spanish Bishop’s Conference, and had a brief tour dubbed Madrid in Una Tarde – “Madrid in an afternoon.” Later, we discovered tapas. Around 9 p.m., we made our way to dinner. In Spain, late dining is the thing. The sun sets around 11 p.m., so there’s ample time for a leisurely meal. Filled with enthusiasm and preconceptions, we set out early the next morning. We departed for Gijon, along the northern coast of Spain, where we would be starting the Camino del Norte. There are many different routes to get to Santiago de Compostela, but we chose the route along the northern coast, which is much cooler than the others in the summertime. We found the tourist office in Gijon and picked up our credencials. The credencial is a small booklet that you present to have stamped — like a passport — at various stops along the route. When you arrive in Santiago de Compostela, you have documentation that you’ve actually walked the walk (or caught buses, trains, cabs, ridden a bike, a horse, etc.). Being able to present the credencial along the route at many different places also lets people know you are a pilgrim, a peregrino. To those who live and work along the route, it’s not too hard to tell who is a peregrino and who isn’t, but the credencial serves its purpose. By the time a pilgrim has completed the walk, the credencial has taken on a little of the flavor of all the places it has been, and some of the little booklets are truly beautiful by journey’s end. Heading Out! Read the rest of the article at the link above
