A Pilgrimage Journey of Prayer, Blessings and Blisters!

“It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk with you, but no one can walk it for you.” Rumi

The journey of the college pilgrims commenced in the northern Spanish town of Sarria, some 125 kms and six days of walking to Santiago de Compostela.

The nature of this ancient walking pilgrims route, allows for contemplation, spirituality and fellowship, with the hundreds of pilgrims walking this ancient route.

The college pilgrims were Mr Hicks, Mr and Mrs Dickinson.

They carried to Santiago the prayers, thoughts and petitions of the college community.

They literally carried their “home on their backs” for 6 days.

Blisters on their feet but with sheer determination to complete a gruelling daily walk. Each evening the college was represented at the numerous masses for Pilgrims along this ancient route.

Headteacher, Paul Stirling said “as we commence our journey into the new academic year, we are grateful to ‘our pilgrims’ for their journey of spiritual support to our community” adding, “I’m sure that as the blisters fade the memory of an amazing journey will live on. Thank you”.

What is the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage?

St James is the patron saint of Spain and the city is named after Saint James – Santiago de Compostela means St James of the Field of Stars. The pilgrimage began in the 9th century and since then, it has grown massively in popularity. Around 350,000 Compostela pilgrim certificates were issued in 2019 alone (compared to just over seven in 1976). The Camino de Santiago (Latin: Peregrinatio Compostellana, “Pilgrimage of Compostela”; Galician: O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims’ ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in north-western Spain, where tradition holds that the remains of the apostle are buried.

Padre Nuestro (Our Father in Spanish)
Padre nuestro, que estás en el cielo,
Santificado sea tu Nombre;
Venga a nosotros tu reino
Hágase tu voluntad en la tierra como en el cielo.
Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada dia,
Perdonna nuestras ofensas,
Como tambien nosotros perdonamos
A los que nos ofenden;
No nos dejes caer el la tentacion,
Y libranos de mal.