Camino pilgrimage a journey of physical, spiritual renewal
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By David Karas | Correspondent
Roughly five years ago, Pamela Grimme, a member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson, enjoyed watching “The Way,” a movie centered on life journeys and the historical religious pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago – also known as the Way of St. James.
“I said, ‘that is on my bucket list,’” she recounted thinking at the time she saw the film. “I wanted to do that. I think it is a wonderful and beautiful thing to do.”
In a 10-day program last month, Grimme and her husband, Don, brought that ambition to fruition.
They joined their pastor, Father Peter James R. Alindogan, and three fellow parishioners in following the time-honored tradition of hiking the Camino, an ancient thoroughfare that winds its way through some 500 miles of France and Spain.
The trip ran from Sept. 19-29, and encompassed a more than 100-kilometer journey, one of the shorter routes of the Camino often selected for the more manageable time requirement – the full route can take more than a month – and less strenuous physical challenge.
Father Alindogan said that the pilgrims, joined by faithful from all across the globe, walked close to 14 miles per day for most of their trip, and carried with them intentions and intercessions of their own, as well as those from friends, family members and fellow parishioners.
“It is more of a personal regeneration – a rebirth,” he said when discussing the objective of such an experience. “I cannot describe the experience I had walking the Camino. I would like to do it again, hopefully, by next year. Our parishioners also had intense emotional and spiritual moments with our good Lord and with their own selves.”
It was the fourth pilgrimage that Father Alindogan has led as a chaplain, with previous journeys to Israel and the Marian Shrines in Europe.
“During the Middle Ages, there were three pilgrimages that Catholics and Christians do: Israel, Rome and Spain,” he explained. “This (was) my first journey walking to Compostela, although I had been there once.”
He said that the act of walking itself is inherently spiritual, with deep Biblical ties.
“When God roamed the earth before the Fall, I believe he walked through and with his creation,” he said. “When Jesus began his Calvary, he walked to the hill of Crucifixion. And when Jesus made his presence felt after his death, he walked with them on the road to Emmaus.”
Dennis Murawski and his wife, Pam, who also joined the cohort for the pilgrimage, said it was far beyond what they have experienced in the past. While the pilgrimage was physically taxing – with challenging hills and a variety of surfaces to navigate for long periods of time each day – they found comfort in their fellow pilgrims.
“As we met people from across the globe along the way, it seemed as though God had sent each one of them to us at just the right time to lift our spirits,” they said. “There were also times we were called upon to think less of our own discomfort and help someone else.”
Their time on the Camino also helped them to reflect on God’s presence in their lives.
“Especially during times when we were walking alone on the trail, or when we were having a particularly challenging moment, we had no doubt that God would help us find a way to soldier on,” they said. “Leaving our daily routines and busy lives behind and being able to just walk with God and nature gave us the time to reflect on just how He impacts our lives.”
The group celebrated Mass after walking each day, and also had the chance to take part in a pilgrim Mass in the Cathedral in Santiago, which Father Alindogan concelebrated with fellow priest pilgrims from all over the world.
As for Grimme, she said that one of the more powerful messages from the film based on the pilgrimage was the fact that people come from such a variety of walks of life.
She said that both she and her husband were motivated to hike the Camino for their four children and 10 grandchildren, with prayers that their lives will be as wonderful and blessed as their parents and grandparents.
“It was fabulous, exhausting, inspirational, memorable, rewarding and a dream realized,” she said.
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By David Karas | Correspondent
Roughly five years ago, Pamela Grimme, a member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson, enjoyed watching “The Way,” a movie centered on life journeys and the historical religious pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago – also known as the Way of St. James.
“I said, ‘that is on my bucket list,’” she recounted thinking at the time she saw the film. “I wanted to do that. I think it is a wonderful and beautiful thing to do.”
In a 10-day program last month, Grimme and her husband, Don, brought that ambition to fruition.
They joined their pastor, Father Peter James R. Alindogan, and three fellow parishioners in following the time-honored tradition of hiking the Camino, an ancient thoroughfare that winds its way through some 500 miles of France and Spain.
The trip ran from Sept. 19-29, and encompassed a more than 100-kilometer journey, one of the shorter routes of the Camino often selected for the more manageable time requirement – the full route can take more than a month – and less strenuous physical challenge.
Father Alindogan said that the pilgrims, joined by faithful from all across the globe, walked close to 14 miles per day for most of their trip, and carried with them intentions and intercessions of their own, as well as those from friends, family members and fellow parishioners.
“It is more of a personal regeneration – a rebirth,” he said when discussing the objective of such an experience. “I cannot describe the experience I had walking the Camino. I would like to do it again, hopefully, by next year. Our parishioners also had intense emotional and spiritual moments with our good Lord and with their own selves.”
It was the fourth pilgrimage that Father Alindogan has led as a chaplain, with previous journeys to Israel and the Marian Shrines in Europe.
“During the Middle Ages, there were three pilgrimages that Catholics and Christians do: Israel, Rome and Spain,” he explained. “This (was) my first journey walking to Compostela, although I had been there once.”
He said that the act of walking itself is inherently spiritual, with deep Biblical ties.
“When God roamed the earth before the Fall, I believe he walked through and with his creation,” he said. “When Jesus began his Calvary, he walked to the hill of Crucifixion. And when Jesus made his presence felt after his death, he walked with them on the road to Emmaus.”
Dennis Murawski and his wife, Pam, who also joined the cohort for the pilgrimage, said it was far beyond what they have experienced in the past. While the pilgrimage was physically taxing – with challenging hills and a variety of surfaces to navigate for long periods of time each day – they found comfort in their fellow pilgrims.
“As we met people from across the globe along the way, it seemed as though God had sent each one of them to us at just the right time to lift our spirits,” they said. “There were also times we were called upon to think less of our own discomfort and help someone else.”
Their time on the Camino also helped them to reflect on God’s presence in their lives.
“Especially during times when we were walking alone on the trail, or when we were having a particularly challenging moment, we had no doubt that God would help us find a way to soldier on,” they said. “Leaving our daily routines and busy lives behind and being able to just walk with God and nature gave us the time to reflect on just how He impacts our lives.”
The group celebrated Mass after walking each day, and also had the chance to take part in a pilgrim Mass in the Cathedral in Santiago, which Father Alindogan concelebrated with fellow priest pilgrims from all over the world.
As for Grimme, she said that one of the more powerful messages from the film based on the pilgrimage was the fact that people come from such a variety of walks of life.
She said that both she and her husband were motivated to hike the Camino for their four children and 10 grandchildren, with prayers that their lives will be as wonderful and blessed as their parents and grandparents.
“It was fabulous, exhausting, inspirational, memorable, rewarding and a dream realized,” she said.
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