Transformative Trails; My Journey on the Camino

Preface: This Catholic Camino pilgrimage was a transformative journey that was meticulously planned and led by Belinda Held of A Pilgrim’s Journey. Belinda’s attention to detail and guidance throughout the pilgrimage led to a deeply meaningful experience that I’ll never forget!

My father-in-law used to say that your mind is like a bookshelf. If you put one too many books on the shelf, one falls off. My bookshelf tends to stay loaded at maximum capacity from constantly coordinating details of my work and family life. I recall when my son, Benjamin, was 10 or so, he looked at me and said, “Mom, the books are flying!”

A couple of years ago I heard of a unique trip that intrigued me – the Camino de Santiago. It’s a journey on foot where “pilgrims” walk for up to 500 miles and complete their journey at the shrine of Saint James the apostle, in Santiago, Spain. I had never been a pilgrim, but from the moment I heard about the Camino, I felt called to be one.

I don’t think things happen by accident or luck. One detail after another fell into place and, in April 2024, I flew to Spain to join a Camino pilgrimage from the Diocese of Pittsburgh. I only knew one person going on the trip, my dear friend Julie. She and I arrived in Madrid three days prior to the start of the Camino to explore this vibrant city. I survived a mishap on an exhilarating Segway tour of the city, but that’s another story.

Our Camino adventure took us through the last 100K of the French Way, one of many routes to Santiago. The Galician landscape was peaceful, beautiful, and restorative. We started in the town of Sarria, and then went to Portomarin, Palas de Rei, Arzua, and O Pino on our way to Santiago. We were blessed with perfect weather – chilly mornings that turned into sunny, mild afternoons. I’ve long thought that small joys in life are really the big joys. That manifested itself on the Camino.

There were about 50 pilgrims in our group. We all walked at our own pace, which gave us the freedom to set out on our own personal journey. I ended up hiking countless miles with two new friends, Judy and Candy. Judy was my kindred spirit in that she liked taking pictures as much as I did. We stopped often to savor moments and soak in the wonder in front of us. It didn’t matter if it was a eucalyptus forest filled with melodic songbirds, a babbling brook, a beautiful brown cow laying in the shade, or a lovely path covered by a spectacular canopy of trees. The moments were magical, and my normally over-busy mind slowed down to allow me to be present. I was filled with wonder and gratitude.

We walked through simple family farms, small towns, and miles of countryside. Along the journey, locals offered ink stamps that we, as pilgrims, sought to collect in our pilgrim passports. If you collect enough stamps in your passport, you are awarded an official certificate of completion at the end of the Camino. No two stamps or stamp-givers were the same. Some were proprietors of little coffee or sandwich shops along the way.

One of the most memorable to me was a blind man who had set up a display of religious items in a tiny chapel. He offered three stamps, which he placed on my passport by reaching for my hand to guide his hand, so he’d know where to stamp. A donation box nearby contained many euros from appreciative pilgrims. I found him to be enterprising, trusting, and inspirational.

There were other memorable stamp-givers. One was a nun, standing along the path in full habit. Another was an enterprising man selling Camino souvenirs. He offered a unique stamp of hot wax that dried quickly with his custom imprint. The locals kindly offered stamps, and pilgrims from around the world, unified in their desire to receive them.

Speaking of people, the human element was my greatest unexpected joy of the Camino. I thought that long periods of quiet reflection on the journey would be the highlight of my Camino experience. While there certainly was some of that, much of the trek was shared with lovely persons. The universal greeting of “Buen Camino” bonded pilgrims and created good will.

It was easy to connect with many of the pilgrims in our group; bonds of endearing friendship quickly formed. My fellow pilgrims were walking for many reasons. I sensed many longing for healing. Chuck and his brother Ron were walking the Camino to honor their dear brother who had recently passed. Eileen was working through the grief of losing her beloved husband. I know there were many other passions, needs, and thoughts that went unspoken. Occasionally pilgrims would allow their emotions to show, but I was overwhelmed with hope in seeing how much joy these folks had in spite of their sadness. Their faith was palpable as they shared stories, joy, laughter, smiles, and tears.

At one juncture on the Camino, I heard a bagpipe playing in the distance, an unexpected sound when traversing the countryside of Spain. As Judy, Candy, and I got closer to the bagpipe player, we noticed a woman with him. When all three of us threw euros in their box, the bagpipe playing got more robust, and the woman joined in with unfiltered singing and playing the drums. I happily danced along.

A young priest in his 30s, Father D.J., accompanied us on the pilgrimage and offered mass for us in many unique places along the journey. Fr. D.J.’s mother and brother were also on the trip. Side note – after reaching Santiago, we went south into Portugal to one of the greatest Christian holy sites in the world, Fatima. Father D.J. got to co-celebrate mass at Fatima, and I’ll never forget the look on his mom’s face – one of deep pride and joy – at the sight of her son practicing his faith in such a holy place.

Our Camino adventure was one of continuous blessings. One of those was a message of faith shown to me in the symbol of a simple yellow arrow. Along the Camino route, we did not use our cell phones, maps, or modern technology for direction. We relied upon yellow arrows to show us the way to go. Sometimes I would get to a place where I’d have to really hunt to see the yellow arrow, but one was always there.

The arrows became a poignant symbol to me; a reminder about our continuous search for direction, longing, fulfillment, meaning, and truth in life. To me, this equates to our longing for God. So often in life, we don’t have a straight, clear, or easy path. Sometimes we may feel lost, not knowing what the next step is. But just as the yellow arrows pointed us in the correct direction without fail, I was reminded that God takes us by the hand and leads us down the right path if we just humble ourselves and walk in faith. Sometimes we just need to take the next step.

I came home with yellow arrow reminders in refrigerator magnets, a memento for my office, and a pin for my backpack. I want to be reminded to remove the clutter from my mind, see the beauty in front of me, TRUST where God’s leading me, and never let the sun set without extending a touch of that pure Camino peace to others. Buen Camino!

If you ever want to join a Catholic Camino organized by A Pilgrim’s Journey, the website follows… www.APilgrimsJourney.com