This contribution was written by Pat Bellingham of our sister lodge, Svea Lodge, Erie, PA, and partly excerpted by her from “The Catholic Link”. It was originally included on the District #9 website.

5ks may be all the rave, but would you walk 500 miles? In Europe, through mountains? On something called The Way of St. James? El Camino de Santiago is a 500-mile walking pilgrimage trail from France over the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela (St. James of the Field of Stars).  Yes, 500 miles on foot.  It depends where you start, but most commonly the path begins in Southern France, from a town called St. Jean-Pied-de-Port. 

People from all walks of life and countries in the world travel it. Legend says that St. James, Spain’s patron saint, was sent to that area to preach the Gospel before he returned to Judaea and was beheaded by the romans in 44 AD.  The El Camino de Santiago ends in Santiago de Compostela, where tradition says the body of Saint James, the Apostle rests. A 9th-century hermit Pelayo received a dream revealing the remains of St. James, to which the bishop he told decided to check and then told the king. Some say St. James’ disciples shipped his body to the Iberian Peninsula for burial, but it was shipwrecked and washed ashore covered in scallops. Others say an angel brought his body back and a groom saying his vows on the beach ended up covered in scallops after his horse spooked and dragged him into the water and they miraculously resurfaced. Either way scallops are a symbol for pilgrims along the Way. 

The trail years ago was dangerous, for pilgrims and those punished to walk it alike, but today it is a way of pilgrimage, tourism, tradition, and a physical challenge. These pictures here were taken by Arne and Eva Dunhem during their Camino de Santiago pilgrim hike September – October 2023. They hiked 350-miles out of a total of 500-miles.