By Shannon White
Thomas Merton, the famed American Trappist monk once wrote, “The geographic pilgrimage is the symbolic acting out of an inner journey. The inner journey is the interpolation of the meanings and signs of the outer pilgrimage. One can have one without the other. It is best to have both.” Perhaps Merton’s thoughts prompted me to consider walking 100 miles in the Galician region of northern Spain-a route which has been trod by countless pilgrims since the 1100’s, known as the Camino de Santiago. Considered to be one of the three most famous Christian pilgrimages, along with Rome and Jerusalem, The Camino, as it is commonly known, has grown in popularity in more recent years. Estimates are that in 2023 alone, 450,000 people made this journey along one of 10 routes, all leading to Santiago de Compostela, where it is said that St. James is buried. The Camino Frances (the oldest route) actually spans 500 miles, beginning in France.
Many people in Greenwich have walked portions of the Camino. Some have walked it multiple times. I had the incredible opportunity to take a group of 10 congregants from Round Hill Community Church (pictured above) from October 21-November 5 of this year to walk the last 100 miles from Sarria to Santiago. We ranged in age from 64-88 years young. My colleague and friend, The Rev. Dr. Heather Wright, of Stanwich Church, walked the same journey with several people this past September. Over the next two weeks, we will share our experiences and insights from our incredible pilgrimages based on a few reflective questions.
1. What drew me to the Camino?
Shannon: For years, I have followed the stories of countless colleagues who have taken the time out of their busy lives of ministry to “walk the Camino.” They walked for different reasons. Many of them completed the 500 miles during a period of sabbatical, knowing that a month or more would be needed for them to honor the pilgrimage. Not having that amount of time, but knowing the value of such an experience, I asked if others in my congregation would be interested in joining me for the last 100 miles (a shorter experience, but enough to get the certificate provided). People immediately responded that they wanted to go.
Like many of us, I knew I was running at a pace in my personal and professional life which was not optimal. While I know of the value of slowing down, I have continually allowed the important demands of ministry and family around me to determine my schedule. My spirit craved silence and extended time for reflection and connection with God. The draw to the outdoors called to me, as well as the need to move my body. The Camino seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine it all. I also wanted to offer that opportunity to those who would travel with me.
Heather:
As an empty-nester, I was finally in a season of life to pursue this dream. This decade long desire was sparked by a good friend’s stories of her repeated Camino journeys. Spiritually, it felt like a divine appointment. I was expectant to meet God along the way in new and surprising ways. Those ways included exposing my issues and releasing strengths I may not know I had. It was a chance to travel with my eyes wide open for God. Physically, walking the Camino seemed like an adventure with guaranteed roadblocks, obstacles and detours. I wondered if I could complete the 100 km trek. Emotionally, it was a step back from my ministry load, a break from routine, to have space to process and pray, to draw closer to God and be refreshed and renewed even as I might be physically exhausted.
2. What was I hoping to find there?
Shannon: I longed for the opportunity to experience an extended period of listening and unfolding. The dynamic of combining the incredibly gorgeous countryside, with the ancient church and monastic buildings oozing with spirituality along the way, combined with the lack of noise from news or music was enticing. The promise of being able to live in the moment for 10 days and focus on listening and expecting to be present with God were some of what I hoped to experience. I also hoped to provide the space for the congregants I took to experience whatever God had for each of them as well.
Heather: My hope was to hear from God with the space and time to listen, to be truly unplugged. To have more of an awareness of God’s Presence, peace and pace. I sensed God would be very active in the challenges on the “Way”, which is not my normal mindset. Great lines of inspiration came through reading, “let the Camino walk you…listen to the road” and my spiritual director who said, “What is the grace in this for you?” I was being prepared to open my hands to whatever the pilgrimage had for me and to receive it as a gift from God.
3. As I trained for it, what was holy or sacramental about my walking?
Shannon: As a person who has been a long-distance cyclist and a runner, I have always used my time of exercise as a way to meditate and pray. I almost always go solo. Call me crazy, but I love hills, and thank God, because there were A LOT of them on this Camino journey! I have used hills as metaphors for whatever I am facing in life.
But, this time of preparation with members of the group for the last months, has been holy, in that, more often than not, I experienced important and deep conversations when talking with another pilgrim. Every other Saturday since early May, a group would gather at Round Hill for a 5-6 mile hike somewhere in southern CT or Westchester County. Each outing was sacred and holy. Each one was unique. Each one brought those of us who travelled together a bit closer. Some of those walking on those mornings would not ultimately be with us on the Camino, but promised to be with us in spirit. (Heather and I even walked one afternoon together before she departed!)
Heather: I tend to move through everything in life with speed and have to remind myself to slow down. Walking is forced sabbath from moving in the fast lane. As I trained for months ahead, I realized a slowed pace allows me to focus my attention on things I would have missed driving by. I got to know the paths I walked well, where they were narrow, wide and with tricky footing. There is intimacy to. The ground we cover. I also learned to respect my body’s strength, stamina and fatigue and how to walk for long distances and climb hills safely (even bandage blisters and wrap a sore ankle). What stood out to me the most was a growing appreciation for God’s creation, alive, active, full of beauty, and all of which is telling a story. The incessant gnats that kept flying into my eyes spoke to me as much as the black and white butterfly flitting around me. Walking became prayer.
In next week’s article, we will both discuss what discoveries and surprises we found along the way and how we are living differently, post-Camino.
The Rev. Shannon White is the Pastor for Spiritual Development at Round Hil Community Church. The Rev. Dr. Heather Wright is the Pastor of Care and Connection at Stanwich Church. The two have been friends and colleagues for 28 years.
