As I write this reflection with just a few days to go before departing for the 34 day and 800 km walk across northern Spain better known as the Camino de Santiago de Compostella, I realize that I really don't have a strong sense of how it will go or what I will gain.  Do I need to know?  No, I say; like the 30 Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, it is better to leave it open ended.

That said, following Ignatius, I can express a desire.  And so, for the Camino pilgrimage, my desire is to know more deeply God's abiding presence with me as I experience the landscape and history of this ancient pilgrimage route, the people I will encounter – fellow pilgrims and natives, the physical challenge… ah, there's the rub.

To be honest, I have a mild preoccupation about the challenge of walking 20-25 km a day for an extended period.  Particularly, the question of 'how will my feet hold up?’  The best response at this point is to 'take every day as it comes' because even this will be a part of God's response to knowing his abiding presence. That said, and it seems funny, I'm thankful for my boots; that they are light and have plenty of wiggle room for my toes; that I have taken the time to 'break them in' and I have yet to have a problem with blisters on the 2-3 hour walks that I have been taking on a regular basis since January. 

I'm thankful also for the medium sized pack that my brother and sister-in-law gave me a few years back. Thanks Courtney and Tim.  It's large enough to hold the 18 lbs. of necessities that I will bring but also small enough to discourage me from taking too much.  I have almost accepted that I won't be bringing any reading material except the necessary guidebook with maps and a couple of flimsy 'Living with Christ' for April and May.  Why?  I've heard too many stories of people who have packed too much, mostly reading material, only to be obliged to dump it early on the route as the realization sets in that this kind of pilgrimage is a time for bare necessities only; it is not a time for superfluities. 

Finally I'm thankful to be undertaking the walk with two Canadian Jesuit novices Kevin Kelly and Erik Sorensen.  Open-ended is the motto and since we know that each of us will be undertaking his own unique journey with God, we're certainly talking about aspects of the route but not as though we'll be joined at the hip.  I'm actually hitting the route a day later than the novices. 

Will I play catch up?  Maybe.  I have a sense that we will definitely meet up and spend some time together. We will be in union of prayers and hearts, that's for sure.  On April 21 I fly from Montréal to Paris and train-it to the starting point of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees.   So, here's hoping for a 'buen Camino.'

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This pilgrimage is being made in support of AJAN – the African Jesuit AIDS Network – a Catholic organization that links and supports Jesuits working in HIV and AIDS care across sub-Saharan Africa. The AJAN vision of empowered individuals, families and communities working towards an HIV- and AIDS-free society and the fullness of life, is realized by Jesuits and their co-workers who reach out to people with HIV, their families, widows and orphans, and who seek to prevent the spread of the pandemic.  AJAN achieves its mission through facilitation and support, networking, advocacy and resource mobilization.  We are also happy to provide you with a tax receipt for your contributions. Please make checks payable to: Aide aux Jésuites canadiens (“Help the Canadian Jesuits” ). Please also include “2013 Pilgrimage Supporting AJAN” on the check memo line. Checks can be mailed to:

Canadian Jesuit Novitiate Pilgrimage  c / o Kevin Kelly

5611 avenue Gatineau

Montreal, Quebec, Canada  H3T 1X6