This personal reflection explores the author's journey as a pilgrim, connecting it to the 2025 Jubilee Year and the theme of 'Pilgrims of Hope'. From a silent retreat that sparked the idea to walking the Camino de Santiago, the text highlights the transformative power of pilgrimage, the encounters with fellow travellers, and the deepened connection with God.
I began 2025 with abundant gratitude for the experiences of the past year and anticipation for the unfolding of new adventures. As I reflected on my resolutions and dreams, an exciting awareness surfaced. In addition to my personal journey as a member of the Catholic Church, I enter an extraordinary year of intentional focus on faith and spirituality.
The Church unites in celebrating the Jubilee Year, a celebration observed every 25 years to reconnect with the roots of our salvific faith as the universal body of Christ. The 2025 Jubilee Year extends an invitation to all Catholics to be “Pilgrims of Hope.” Step by step, we are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. As a Church, we journey together as the body of Christ. The theme, Pilgrims of Hope, reminded me of my own experience as a pilgrim. Though I walked the Camino de Santiago (the pilgrimage through Spain also known as the “Way of St James”) in 2021, the seed for that pilgrimage was planted in 2011. At the time, I was discerning religious life while working in a fast-paced environment where planning, preparing and achieving expectations were essential. That year, I attended a preached retreat with Brian Pierce, a Dominican friar, and Dominican Sr Mary O’Driscoll, at the Heartland Centre for Spirituality, an experience that changed my life. It was my first silent retreat, requiring me to slow down, embrace silence, and listen to God with my whole being. Initially, I struggled with the stillness, but to my surprise, I loved it. During their preaching, Brian and Mary introduced the idea of life as a pilgrimage with God — something I had never considered before. As I understood it, pilgrimage is a radical invitation to embark on a wild and exciting adventure with God. They emphasised that while the starting and ending points matter, the true essence of pilgrimage lies in the messiness, encounters and discoveries along the way. They spoke of the ancient pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, and I heard a challenge: “Mujer, pack your bags, become an always pilgrim, and put El Camino on your bucket list.”Fast forward to 2021. My journey of discerning religious life had been affirmed, and I embarked on a pilgrimage that heightened my awareness of God’s constant presence. I became open to God’s abundant love for me and all creation. My lifestyle shifted from one focused on doing to one centred on being — with God and with the people of God. In April 2021, I had the great fortune of uniting my discernment journey with the peregrina (pilgrim) journey of El Camino. I was blessed to walk El Camino with two amazing Dominican Sisters of Peace: June Fitzgerald and Barbara Kane. Together, we prepared for our two-week journey — choosing our route, exploring options, and holding each other accountable as we trained for the trek. We were fortunate to travel with experienced companions who knew the route and its history. At the start of our pilgrimage, I felt overwhelmed by the thought of walking 275 kilometres to our destination. Yet, my fellow peregrinas reminded me to take it one step at a time. The daunting numbers transformed: one step at a time, one mile at a time, one cruceiro at a time, one chapel at a time, one encounter at a time. As I walked, I was awed by the milliaria — Roman mile markers that bore witness to the footsteps of merchants, travellers and armies who had walked this path for centuries. With each step, I felt connected to countless peregrinos who had journeyed before me and to those who would come after me. Along the journey, the landscape shifted from urban settings to vineyards, forests, and medieval villages. With each change in scenery, my journey was enriched by encounters with fellow peregrinos. At first, the only thing we had in common was the shared journey. We came from different places and backgrounds, yet our pilgrimage united us. Walking together, we formed bonds of mutual support and care. One of my favourite encounters was with the Musas, a group of five best friends whose love and commitment to each other deeply inspired me. Two years earlier, one of them had been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. Throughout her treatment, she and her friends prayed for healing. As she continued her treatment, she made a manda — a sacred vow — to walk the Camino if she recovered. When she was declared cancer-free, her friends upheld her vow and walked with her. I was honoured to witness their story, celebrate her life, and walk alongside them. Encounters like this were abundant. Strangers became close friends. My pilgrimage was more than a physical journey — it was a deep, spiritual communion with my fellow travellers, the landscape, and God.I hold my pilgrim experience in my heart as a powerful lesson in the beauty of the journey. My pilgrimage began in 2011 as I discerned religious lif
Faith Pilgrimage Jubilee Year Camino De Santiago Spiritual Journey Encounters God's Presence
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