There’s something amazing about the pilgrims on the Way
Buen Camino!’ It’s a familiar phrase that pilgrims say as they meet one another on the Way. It’s both a greeting and a blessing for those who walk to Santiago de Compostella across the north of Spain. There is a strange sense of community out here, where people of all religious backgrounds and none undertake a journey of faith.
I was watching a documentary recently about the Church in Ireland. One of the contributors pointed out that in Irish the word for church translated literally was ‘teach an phobail’ or simply ‘the house of the people.’ It’s with this understanding in mind that I’ve joined a group of people on the Camino, welcoming pilgrims on the Way. Some of the team are working in Santiago de Compostella. I’m based halfway along the Camino Frances in the little town of Moratinos, where I live with the wonderful Rebekah Scott, her husband Patrick, five dogs, two cats, and a budgie.
Getting ready for pilgrims on the Meseta
Each day the tiny church of St. Thomas is opened at 6:30am to welcome pilgrims. Some just want a stamp for their pilgrim passport, while others are looking for a moment of prayer as they begin their day. In the afternoon I call to a number of the albergues or hostels around to let them know that there’s Mass in English at 5:30pm. It’s an opportunity to share some of their story, to get in touch with what is going on for them, and to end their day with prayer.
We have pilgrims from all over the world, such as Brazil, China, Australia, loads from South Korea, the United States, and of course from all around Europe. Only this morning I had two teachers from South Africa who knew a number of our MSC brothers in the region. It’s a global community.
We have pilgrims coming from Italy, France, Ireland, Somalia, Brazil and everywhere else you could imagine
By the time they arrive in Moratinos they have begun to enter into the spirit of the Camino. Much of their first week is spent racing along, typical of daily life now, uncertain whether they’ll find a bed or not. Out here you move to an entirely different rhythm. It’s an entirely new experience to slow down, to let go, and to open yourself to wonder of the Way.