Lessons from the Camino

This summer my dad and I embarked on the Camino de Santiago, walking over 400 miles in 27 days, carrying nothing but a backpack.

It was a religious, cultural, social, and recreational experience unlike any other, full of lessons learned!

But first, some background.

What is the Camino?

The Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James, is a pilgrimage ending in Santiago de Compostela, where St. James' remains are housed and venerated. There are 100s of recognized routes beginning in different locations across Europe and culminating in Santiago.

History of the Camino

St. James the Greater was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus and the first to be killed for his faith, an example that all the rest (with the exception of St. John) would follow. Legend has it that his followers smuggled his body to what is now Spain and buried it near the tip of the Iberian peninsula. However, the location of his tomb was lost until the 800s, when stars dancing over the site led a monk to rediscover the tomb.

The body of St. James had been found!

The King of the region, King Alfonso II, journeyed to the location to confirm the veracity of the remains, completing the first "camino" and becoming the first pilgrim or "peregrino" to Santiago.

After that, pilgrims from all over Europe and even the world began leaving their homes and walking to Santiago de Compostela to venerate the body of this great saint and visit the cathedral where it was housed.

The Camino Today

In 1980, one man, Father Valiña, set out with a mission to revitalize the Camino by marking the routes with recognizable yellow arrows.

It rapidly regained popularity with 100s of 1000s of pilgrims completing the pilgrimage each year.

Like in the Middle Ages, people have been captivated by the Camino; the Spanish landscape, years of history, religious devotion, and social network of pilgrims lending to its mystical nature.

In 2024, 499,239 pilgrims completed the Camino, arriving in Santiago on foot, bicycle, horseback, boat, or even wheelchair.

The Camino is more than just a backpacking trail; it is a religiously, culturally, and historically significant pilgrimage route.

Sadly, the Camino has lost some of its religiosity, but the experience of walking, often alone and in silence, for many hours, many days in a row, provides plenty of time for reflection and meditation. Many of the pilgrims we met, though not Catholic or even Christian, were walking the Camino with the purpose of self-reflection and discernment of life decisions.

Lessons from the Camino

Ask any pilgrim and I am sure they will tell you how much they learned and grew from the Camino. Here are just a few of the lessons I learned.

1. There will always be someone who walks faster than you and someone who walks slower than you; walk at your own pace.

2. Have patience with the person you are walking with; they are probably having to exercise just as much patience with you.

3. You do not need much to be happy.

4. Life is simple; we are the ones who complicate it.

5. God gives us the strength and grace we need with each new day.

6. Always smile and greet the people you cross paths with. It doesn't cost anything.

7. Most of the time people are kind and quick to help if you ignore the embarrassment and ask **nicely.

8. A pilgrimage is just as much about the journey as it is about the destination.

9. Anyone can evangelize right where they are.

10. We are all pilgrims in this life, united in our search for more.

St. James, pray for us!