Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrimage

Pastor Annabelle Markey, Co-pastor Community Lutheran Church, Sterling, VA, while on a 3-month sabbatical from her parish she had the opportunity to fulfill her interest in traveling 490 miles on foot from France through northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago. The pilgrimage attracts people from around the globe: Christians and non-Christians, people in transition in their lives, walkers who are taking the time to discern, and non-believers.

She and her husband walked 10 to 18 miles each day going through various small towns. Upon reaching their designated walk, they would find various accommodations for sleeping and continue their pilgrimage the next morning beginning at 6 AM. She shares the history of this pilgrimage which developed in the ninth century with the discovery of the relics of St. James and about the personal outcomes of this pilgrimage for her which included learning to slow down and how to be present by listening to others without thinking about the next project or projects to do. Although it was a strenuous walk, she hopes to repeat this pilgrimage.