VENTNOR – Eight years ago, cousins Dave Furgione and John Emerich were travelers on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, a 500-mile stretch across Europe where pilgrims, for centuries, have spiritually replenished their souls.
“It was such a spectacular, life-changing event,” Emerich, of Edison, N.J., said of the route famously known as the Way of Saint James.
PHOTO GALLERY: 2025 VITALity Way of Saint James Walk
On April 26, the two were walking side by side again, along with Emerich’s wife, Mary – this time for the Diocese of Camden’s seventh annual “Way of Saint James on the Road to Life” event.
Sponsored by VITALity Catholic Healthcare Services Diocese of Camden, the experience included prayer, 2.5-mile walk on the Boardwalk and Mass at Saint James Church, Holy Trinity Parish.
“I prayed for my family and friends to be happy and health, in this year,” noted Furgione, who attends Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing.
A participant in last year’s event, he convinced the Emerichs to travel to South Jersey for this year’s walk.
The day brought back good memories of the Camino in Spain, said John Emerich , adding that just like in 2017, they found “friendly angels” on this walk with whom to share stories and prayer intentions.
The two friends plan on returning to Europe for the Camino de Santiago de Compostela on April 26, 2026, a year to the day of their Ventnor encounter.
Kathy O’Brien, a first-time pilgrim to Ventnor’s boardwalk, used her steps to pray “for my family to be healthy and safe.” The parishioner of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Absecon, said she would “continue to spread light to people that I meet everywhere.”
The sneakered pilgrims, numbering nearly 100, included VITALity staff, and Father Carlo Santa Teresa, parochial vicar of Saint Joseph Parish, Somers Point, who celebrated Mass.
In his homily, Father Santa Teresa noted that those present have “witnessed the good things of the Lord” on their respective journeys.
No matter where their travels take them, Father Santa Teresa asked if the faithful could “tell people along the way that we know the Lord? Can we help them to know the joy that we have as we celebrate the Easter Mysteries? Do we recognize the loving God who walks with us on that pilgrimage?”
“We may have walked the flatlands and uneven terrains of the Camino in Europe, or we may have walked the Boardwalk in Ventnor, but the reality is the journey didn’t begin at the starting line: It starts right now as we are sent forth to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, having gone on pilgrimage with Him,” the priest said.
Nicole Keefer, VITALity’s executive director, called the day “a beautiful example of the power of pilgrimage alive in the Diocese of Camden.”
“It was a blessing to be able to meet so many people,” she said. “From the 1-year-old who was there with his parents and grandmother for the first time, to the couple who came back again, there was presence and acceptance of overall health and well-being.”
By Maria Toci D’Antonio, special contributor
and Peter G. Sánchez, staff writer
Maria Toci D’Antonio is communications manager for the Diocese of Camden’s Office of Communications.
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