Pilgrims Once More: Rediscovering Faith on the Camino de Santiago

For over a millennium, men and women have embarked on arduous pilgrimages across vast distances, enduring peril and exhaustion in pursuit of spiritual meaning, purpose, or divine knowledge. A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey imbued with profound lessons about life’s journey. The most renowned pilgrimage in history was the trek to Jerusalem, which could span several years. Second in significance was the pilgrimage to Rome. The third great pilgrimage was to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. Legend holds that the apostle James journeyed to Spain to preach the Gospel and aspired to be interred there in the future. The legend asserts that after his demise in Jerusalem, Christians transported his body to Galicia, where he was interred in a field that is now the city of Santiago de Compostela. Over the centuries, pilgrims have continued to undertake the pilgrimage to Galicia from all corners of the globe. The global spiritual hunger that our world experiences today has sparked a resurgence. Over 500,000 men and women embarked on the sacred journey this year alone. 

This month, a fantastic group of 90 disciples, families, and friends from around the globe joined forces to walk the Camino de Santiago together! They came from Australia, Canada, the Philippines, Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Mainland, the UK, Africa, Germany, Puerto Rico, and Portugal. Starting in Sarria, Spain, we embarked on a six-day journey, covering 72 miles (118 Km) up and down hills, braving cold, rainy, misty, and sunny weather through breathtaking storybook forests, charming villages, and picturesque farms. Each day presented its challenges, testing our bodies, minds, and spirits. We walked 9-15 miles daily, with some taking as little as three hours and others needing eight or nine hours to complete the distance. The group was diverse in age and fitness, with the youngest being just 17 months old, Aragon Carrillo, grandson of Robert & Michele Carrillo, and the oldest being over 70 years old, Dr. John Oaks. We even had two adorable dogs, Harper and Milo! Everyone arrived physically exhausted but emotionally overjoyed to have completed the 72-mile journey. There were tears of joy, hugs, and pure excitement all around. The pilgrimage was a resounding success, and we didn’t lose a single soul! Everyone made it the full distance! The next morning, we officially concluded the pilgrimage with a devotional on medieval steps across from the Cathedral of St James. The sharing was incredibly powerful and inspiring, as everyone shared how they were moved, blessed, and even transformed over the previous seven days.

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If you are interested in joining a future Camino or our 2026 Fall Spiritual retreat in Ireland, email me at robert@thewayministry.global