Honzanas is about 250km into the Camino.  It is May 2 and I'm sitting in a tiny albergo ,the name given to the pilgrim dorms that charge 5 euros a night.  They are rustic to be sure and one needs to get used to sharing a room with 20 or more people; men and women of all ages.  

At the moment, I'm with Kevin and Erik, the two Canadian Jesuit novices, whom I caught up with the previous day in the beautiful city of Burgos and where we enjoyed the gracious hospitality of the Jesuits there.  It is evening and we are enjoying a delicious 9 euro pilgrim meal.  Mine consists of Catalan garlic soup, sauteed veal with fries and flan for dessert, complete with a bottle of local wine.   We've been enjoying sharing stories of encounters, challenges and the simple graces of the journey so far.  

Erik has just shared about the challenge of walking a 12km stretch of high lying forest in the middle of a snow storm!  He eventually teamed up with a Brasilian pilgrim (who happens to be with us at supper) and they figured that it was better to go back and get transport to the next town than to risk hypothermia.    Kevin shares of how he had an early morning start without breakfast because nothing had been open the previous night only to be greeted by the unexpected arrival of the local bread truck around 7am and an hour into his walk; they were only too happy to supply him with some sustenance.

 For my part, I talk of having lost my walking stick only to find a new one on the path about an hour later… no, I didn't take someone else's.  Rather, the new stick is a glorified twig that works as well or better than the fancy MEC one I had been using.  

It is now May 5 and Erik and I have just arrived in Sahagun after a 40km walk from Carrion de los Condes.  We knew that it was going to be a long day and so we began about 6:15am.  We arrive 9 1/2 hours later very tired and with tender feet.  Still we are happy to have walked the extra kilometers.  We took some good breaks and have gotten very good at monitoring water intake; a good 4 liters for this length of a walk.  At this point on the pilgrimage we are both at the point where a hearty supper and good night's sleep is all we need in order to start fresh and energized tomorrow morning.  

This evening, I'm looking forward to attending Vespers and the pilgrim blessing at the Benedictine convent close by.  In closing, I'd like to mention how moving the pilgrim blessings have been.  The blessing reminds me that God is in every step I take and in every person I meet on the Way.  The priests and sisters giving the blessings radiate the understanding of what each pilgrim is undertaking; that this journey is not simply an endurance test or a kind of proto-ecotourism.  Rather, that it is a deeply personal and communal experience that stretches each pilgrim beyond him or herself into new ways of being and relating.

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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