Seminarians making the Camino de Santiago

This summer, Seminarians Stephen Robbins and Ryan Meehan are making the Camino de Santiago, a large network of ancient pilgrim routes stretching across Europe and coming together at the tomb of Saint James (Santiago in Spanish) in Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. They share their journey weekly on the iRace4Vocations Facebook page. The following is a glimpse of what they’ve experienced.

June 7

Yesterday, we walked from Nájera to Santo Domingo. It was probably one of our easiest days, only about 22 kilometers. It was a little chilly outside, with some off and on rain showers.

The albergue we stayed at in Nájera was connected to a Cistercian convent. We were able to pray evening prayer with the sisters and then attend mass. There was something very beautiful about the way the sisters prayed the Liturgy of the Hours.

Today we traveled from Santo Domingo to Belorado. Today may have been one of the most beautiful days so far. The weather was perfect, and we made our way through vast open areas of farmland. There were a few moments today when I was overwhelmed by just how beautiful this world we live in really is. God did not have to create the world as He did, yet for some reason He did.

June 9

Yesterday, we walked from Belorado, to Agés. The first half of our 28km day was pretty flat, with a lot of plains around us. About halfway through, we began our ascent, from about 800m to a little over 1,100m. The climb was pretty tough, but it went by fast. When we got to the top, we were about to stop, and, again, stand in awe, by looking at God’s beautiful creation.

The following day was pretty tough for me, since my knee was giving me a lot of pain. I used this time to reflect upon my pilgrimage thus far, and God allowed me to feel His presence in a powerful way. If it wasn’t for my knee acting up, I probably would not have had this time, alone, in solitude, so I thank God for this happening to me.

June 11

We have now entered into a much different setting: the “Meseta.” The Meseta is a dry, plateau region of Spain. While the beginning of our journey took us through all kinds of different landscapes and environments, we are now in a very vast, open and flat land where the view doesn’t change very often. At this point in our journey, the conversation is not quite as frequent, but the openness and silence is very conducive to prayer and meditation.

Today we walked from Hornillos to another small village called Castrojeriz. We left early enough that we were able to see some of the sunrise, which was stunningly beautiful. For almost a week we will continue to make our way through the Meseta.

June 13

Yesterday, we left from Castrojeriz, to go to Frómista. The first 5k of our 24k day was up and down a mountain. Again, words cannot even describe the view we had from the top of the mountain. As we were coming down the mountain, we decided to pray morning prayer, while looking out upon the whole valley. Usually, Morning Prayer consists of praying Psalms that praise God for creation, and, as I looked out upon God’s creation, while praying morning prayer, God just touched my heart, deeply.

Tonight, we are staying in a Hostel, run by Augustinian sisters. It is a nice change for us, since we will able to spend time with them throughout our day here. We will pray vespers, attend Mass, have praise and worship, and have dinner with them, so we are just very excited.

June 16

One might say that right now we are in the “dog days” of the Camino. The beautiful mountains that we began to grow accustomed to in the beginning have given way to the seemingly endless open fields that we are now working our way through. We are now more than halfway to Santiago.

One thing that really helped me get through this tough day was something I saw at our albergue the day before in Carrión. They had a painting on the wall of two pilgrims walking along the Camino, and although they didn’t see Him, Jesus was there with them. It read, “And while they were talking and questioning together, Jesus himself came near and went with them.” Continually reminding myself that Jesus was right there walking with me gave me the strength I needed to persevere through a really tough day.

June 17

I do not know about the other guys, but I sure am loving these long walks. Yesterday, we left from Bercianos del Real Camino, to Mansilla de las Mulas. It was a 27k walk. Again, the weather was in the upper 90s, so we left around 6:30 a.m. to beat some of the heat. We arrived at Mansilla at about 12:30, so it took us six hours, with an hour of rest in the middle. I spent almost the entire time in solitude, which is why I love these long walks. I get a lot of praying done, not only for my needs, and wants, but also, for those who have asked for my prayers, and for those that the Spirit leads me to pray for.

Today, we left Mansilla de las Mulas, to go to León, our last big city, before Santiago. Today was day 20 of our journey, and, again, we left early to beat the heat. I spent the entire walk in solitude, encountering God in a very deep, intimate way. Since many of the churches here in Europe are closed almost all the time, we have to find God on the trail, through the people we meet, and, especially, in our own hearts, which is where I personally have found God the most.

June 19

It’s amazing to think that we only have about 162 miles left until Santiago. We have already walked about 321 miles. Never in my life did I ever think it was even possible to walk this much. Throughout this entire pilgrimage, we have been extremely blessed.

This pilgrimage has given us the opportunity to step away from the comforts and the distractions of everyday life so that we can focus more on giving ourselves over to God. It helps us to recognize what is truly important in life, and how it is necessary to rely on Christ to sustain us.

June 21

Today, we were able to get to Cruz de Ferro, before the peak of the Sun Rise. Cruz de Ferro (The Iron Cross) is a place where usually a person places a rock which he has been carrying since the beginning of his pilgrimage, at the foot of the cross. This rock, then, signifies something one wants to leave behind. Although, I have been carrying a rock in my pack since Lourdes, I did not know exactly what I wanted to leave behind, or, in other words, I did not know what I must place at the foot of the cross. I did not know what I needed to surrender to Jesus until the moment I approached Cruz de Ferro. As I pulled out my rock and approached the Iron Cross, many things came to my mind, that I knew I needed to surrender to the Lord. At this moment, I was filled with so much emotion, that I began to cry. I walked, now, about 344 miles to this cross, ready to surrender everything God has asked of me to give over to Him. As I left Cruz De Ferro, I left many things behind, and I truly felt as if a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. If I have felt this way at Cruz de Ferro, I can only imagine what I am going to feel like when I arrive at Santiago.

June 24

Yesterday was one of the most difficult days of the Camino for us, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. After believing that we had escaped the wrath of the dreaded “chinches” or bed bugs, we realized that the bites take about a day to materialize, and we discovered that we were indeed infected. We luckily managed to escape with a couple little bites, but some of the people walking with us had much more intense reactions to them, which made the walk quite painful. It was also a long walk, with some pretty intense heat as well. Yet somehow by the grace of God we all managed to make it to our destination.

It was quite remarkable how the Lord was watching over us, for the town we stopped in had a medical center (which we haven’t seen too many of). We got to the medical center just before they were about to close, and not only did they see us for free, but they gave us free medication to help treat the bites. It was absolutely amazing how everything worked out perfectly. It was definitely a challenging day, but I was reminded of how we often face challenges in life, but God will always give us what we need to get through them.

We have now entered the region of Galicia, which is where Santiago resides. We are only 96 miles away from Santiago, and have less than a week left. I am super excited for all of the experiences that are still to come.

June 25

In order to get to Santiago by Thursday, for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, we had to lose a day somehow. Yesterday was the perfect chance to drop a day with a long, eight-hour, 40k hike. Doing this Super-Day was definitely inspired by the Holy Spirit. For, if we did not do this long 40k hike, we would not have been able to fulfill our obligation of attending Sunday Mass, since the towns where we would have stayed did not have a Vigil Mass. I thank God for giving us the strength to get through that long day safely and free of any injuries.

After yesterday’s walk, today’s walk seemed like a breeze. It was a short 22k from Sarria to Portomarín. This day was maybe one of my least favorite days as well. I say this because a massive amount of people began their pilgrimage from Sarria to Santiago, and, since I became quite used to my walks in silence and solitude, today was a loud and crowded day. I, nonetheless, attempted to remain calm and find the beauty in the crowds around me. As I looked upon the swarms of people around me, I began to see that, maybe these people are not as privileged as me to walk the whole Camino. Maybe, for some people, all they can do is five days of walking. But, the insight I had is this: whether it be for five days of walking, or 32 days of walking, we are nonetheless the same. We are making a pilgrimage to Santiago. We are also searching to find something in Santiago. For me, it’s a deeper love for God. For others, however, it could be something else. But, what I do know, without a doubt in my mind, is that we are all pilgrims, and that does not end in Santiago. It ends when we pass from this world into eternity, with God.

June 29

We have made it to Santiago!!! I cannot believe 32 days have come and gone so fast. It feels like it was just yesterday we were leaving Saint Jean Pied de Port. It feels like we just finished saying goodbye to some people we had met earlier along the way. Arriving here, today, in Santiago reminds me of a quote from Scripture: “As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more” (Ps 103:15-16). These verses have really spoke to me throughout this whole pilgrimage, and it also has become a motto for how I want to live the rest of my life.

I know time flies, and I also know that God can call us home to Himself, either tomorrow, or maybe even years from now, but we do not know the exact time. What I have learned from this Camino is that our days will come and go without us even batting an eye. I do not know about you, but I do not want those days to go to waste. I want to be an instrument of God that will change this world, which so desperately needs change. I want to be the light of Christ, in this world of darkness. I want to boldly proclaim the Gospel, and follow in the footsteps of Saints Peter and Paul, whose feast day we celebrate today. I know our days will come and go, but, maybe, if I can make one small change in the world, then people will look to the one who has called me into the world, that is, Christ, Himself.