A Pilgrimage in Spain: Walking the Camino

The Camino de Santiago is one of the three major Christian pilgrimage destinations that have drawn pilgrims for centuries. This particular pilgrimage ends with the veneration of the tomb of St. James, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, at Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Monsignor Gregory Schlesselmann and I had the opportunity to walk this pilgrim route recently. We completed the 200 miles of the Camino route named the Camino Primitivo, which is the most ancient, rural, and rugged of the Camino paths. Our pilgrimage walk began in Oviedo, Spain, where we picked up our pilgrim credential at the Cathedral on the day of arrival. The next morning, we began our pilgrim hike. We carried everything on our backs for the entire trip, so it was crucial to pack carefully!

Our pilgrimage consisted of 14 days of hiking with the longest day probably around 19 miles. During that time, we had much time to reflect in silence, for we were walking mostly on rural paths, although there was some road walking. We celebrated Mass each day, encountered various other pilgrims, stopped at every church that we passed, and had a chance to experience both the quiet of private rooms and the usual dormitory dwellings so common to the Camino. One of the key aspects of pilgrimage is to “leave behind” our ordinary routines and places so that we can experience God’s presence in the unfamiliar and new.

We had occasion to offer Mass with fellow pilgrims out in the most remote mountain slope, which was a highlight, and also at the Cathedral in Santiago, where Msgr. Schlesselmann was privileged to add the incense to the enormous censor, called the botafumeiro. He really made it smoke! We also were blessed with little chapels in unexpected places. It was a joy to celebrate our faith with our fellow pilgrims in these various ways.

My greatest grace from this experience was the reflection on how my life as a priest (and a Christian) is very much like a pilgrimage. Each day, in order to get to the destination of heaven, I am invited to put on my pack, walk my daily route with Jesus, and then rise again the next day to continue. While there are surely many complications on the way, and it can get tiring, the basic choice is quite simple. I enjoyed the many hours of silence while we hiked. Mind you, we did visit, for there was plenty of time for that during eight or more hours of walking per day!

Monsignor Schlesselmann enjoyed the stunning and diverse beauty of the countryside as we hiked, and the invitation to live in the present moment so as to experience Jesus walking with us. The “pilgrim” grace highlighted the true nature of our life here on earth for we are all pilgrims enroute to eternity!

The year 2025 is a Jubilee year, and there will be many opportunities for pilgrimage in order to learn from and honor the saints and to walk with Jesus. Perhaps you will be blessed with an opportunity to go to Rome, Jerusalem, or Santiago. You might consider going to LaCrosse, Wis. to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. There will also be local opportunities for pilgrimage in the sites chosen by Bishop Folda for us in the Diocese of Fargo.

In all events, whether your walk with Jesus brings you to a local or a distance place of prayer, Jesus invites you to walk with him and celebrate his sacraments of love as you continue on pilgrimage toward heaven.

To see more of our pilgrimage, visit https://caminoprimitivomonsignorivo.blogspot.com/