Beloved Family:
To this point, I have not written much—or spoken publicly, for that matter— regarding my pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago in Spain and Fatima in Portugal back in September (yikes, already two months ago!). Someone recently made a comment, to the effect that perhaps the experience is so personal that I am hesitant to share about it. In truth, that is not the case; I do not want to keep it all to myself.
Indeed, there were many moments “en el camino” (literally “along the way”) that carry a deep, personal significance in my mind and heart. That said, my desire is not to keep it to myself. I believe it is a matter of struggling a bit to find an appropriate entry point for relating the experience; figuratively, I would say: “How do I relate specific moments of grace in a manner that conveys the elegant movement of the Holy Spirit rather than just a seemingly random “slide show” of images and encounters?”
Perhaps I can begin by telling how the hand of providence was in play even before I boarded the plane to Madrid. For those who have heard this already, you are free to flip to another page of this bulletin. For context: hearing Fr. David give an account some of his memories of the Camino served as a key inspiration. Bear in mind that he walked a full route of the Camino (approximately 500 miles) when he was twenty. He carried all his gear with him at all times. He stayed in aubergues (alternately, “auberge,” basically a hostel).
As I projected my own journey, about 95% of me recognized that I was not equipped to undertake that rugged an approach. However, the remaining 5% of me provided an opening for the Enemy to insinuate himself in the form of pride (“Well, you should be able to rough it!”). Due to this, I really dragged my feet in making concrete travel arrangements. For the record: Fr. David could not have been a greater cheerleader!
Despite my procrastination, the Lord provided a spot in a group organized by a pilgrimage group headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. A chaplain was already secured, although he was not the priest originally scheduled to go; that priest had to withdraw. Therefore, I was to be the second priest—“co-pilot,” you might say. Once I established a reservation, I discovered that my passport had expired in 2025. Hence, I sent my renewal application on the expedited processing track. My new passport was in my hands within two weeks!
I departed from Cleveland on Labor Day. The travel could not have been smoother. With a substantial layover in Charlotte, North Carolina, I had ample opportunity to engage in one of my favorite pastimes: observing the endlessly-fascinating human race in all of its variety and hearing the gentle-yet-persistent voice of the Lord (“Remember, Stephen, each and every one you encounter is Me in disguise. Therefore, observe with care”).
One noteworthy encounter there took place in the interfaith chapel. Because of some interior construction in the works, it was not simple to find the room. Eventually, I was successful. As I was praying one of the hours of the Divine Office, two men came in together, followed relatively immediately by another. It became evident that were all devout Muslims. One took out his phone in order to determine the direction of Mecca. As it turned out, I was sitting where they needed to face. Hence, they politely asked if I could shift…no problem there. So, for a short time, Christian and Muslim prayer was issuing from the same space.
To be continued at some point…
Let His Peace be with you,
Fr. Stephen
