El Camino de Santiago: My St. James Pilgrimage in Spain

I arrived in Lugo, Spain, at 6:30 a.m., in cold weather of about 40-50 degrees, with scattered drizzle. It was still dark on the road except for those participating in the pilgrimage. There was no one left, not a single trace of local people.

While waiting to celebrate Mass at 7:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of Santa Maria. And after Mass we went into the Sacristy to stamp the Pilgrimage book to begin the journey. Actually, that stamp is not important, but those are the seals of hotels, restaurants or churches … they stamp on the pilgrimage book to show that we have passed through their place. It was 9 a.m. on May 8, it was raining, both sides of the road were still empty of local people and we officially started the pilgrimage on St. James’s way.

The majority of people choose the shortest way to go, the easiest way to do. Reality shows us that successful people must choose the reverse. Few examples shall make this clear: Athletes must train hard and sacrifice before they can get the gold medal. Soldiers must do the same because they believe that “if they sweat in the training field, they shall pour out less blood in the battlefield.”

While walking on pilgrimage paths, I was inspired by the Holy Spirit to put aside everything. The noise of the world was silent, thanks to that I heard God’s voice, in a different way than before.

El Camino de Santiago is one of the oldest Christian pilgrimage routes in the world. But it’s more than just a road. It is an opportunity to reflect on life, go on an adventure, exercise, make new friends, listen to the voice of God and experience nature’s beauty.

The journey is as important as the destination.

The pilgrimage route has many different routes, but they all point towards Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, where the tomb of Saint James, son of Zebedee (Santiago in Spanish) is said to be located. The tomb is believed to date from the 7th century, but it was not until the 9th century that the exact location of the tomb in Compostela was known. After that, the fame of this tomb quickly spread throughout Europe and people began making pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela as early as the 10th century.

The revival of the Way of Saint James, or Camino, began in the late 1970s, when the pilgrimage routes were almost forgotten after the war. Pope Saint John Paul II helped popularize the Camino again when he visited Santiago de Compostela in 1982. A few years later, in 1989, Pope Saint John Paul II organized the World Youth Day in Santiago, where he even walked a few kilometers to the Basilica himself.

The Way of Saint James has become popular again since then. Over the past few decades, many books have been written and many films made, making this famous pilgrimage route accessible to more people. The Way of Saint James is more than a pilgrimage. This path attracts atheists, Muslims, and Buddhists, giving them profound experiences.

According to stories or diaries written by pilgrims to Compostela from the 9th to the 15th centuries, we can deduce that reason for pilgrimage before the 16th century.

Most people who went on pilgrimage in the 9th to 15th centuries did so because of their faith. They went voluntarily and no one forced them to go. They go away from home so they have the opportunity and time to calmly think about life, their faith and their connection with God and other brothers and sisters.

Going on pilgrimage means accompanying Jesus to preach the Good News. But there are also people who go for the purpose of penance. They said goodbye to the cozy life of family, friends and neighbors to go alone in loneliness in a strange land. They hope to meet God during these times. Giving up everything to go with God also means that the pilgrim tries to give up all his sins, addictions and bad habits to become a new person.

Many people go to give thanks to God. Some people come and stay forever in Rome or Jerusalem, or stay in Compostela, etc. so that when they die and are buried in holy ground, they think it will be easier for them to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Some people only go to holy places for tourism, or vacation. Some people go out of curiosity. They see many people going so they also go to try it out.

In this pilgrimage, we departed from Lugo (Wednesday) to Santiago (Sunday) – more than 102km. Every day, we walk less than 20km (the longest is 26.5km) and wear a backpack that includes all the necessary equipment for the pilgrimage (about 8kg). The pilgrimage timetable is as follows: 6:30 a.m. Mass, followed by breakfast, 8 a.m. departure.

When I arrived in Satiago, Sunday, May 12, I had time to be in silence, pray and recover my health.

And I am very honored to celebrate Sunday Mass at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. This is truly a precious time for me to look back on my pilgrimage and my own priestly vocation. As for myself, I spent a little time exploring the center of Santiago and the rest of the time for silence. I went into the Cathedral museum, once the place where hermits lived, a place completely isolated from the outside despite being located right in the heart of the city.

Exploring the beauty of the museum and above all experiencing the silent atmosphere of the Middle Ages, I felt like I was immersed in God’s loving embrace. For myself, what I learned throughout the journey is steadfastness on the path of my priestly vocation. Despite the rain and tired feet, everyone did not give up, still walked and completed the journey.