Twelve days into our 350 kilometer journey, I had yet to meet a pilgrim who was walking for explicitly religious reasons. Most pilgrims I met cited adventure, curiosity, or fun as their reasons for walking. But this past Sunday, I discovered that for many pilgrims the Catholic tradition of the Camino de Santiago remains pertinent.

After descending a steep dirt hill that afternoon, I came upon Professor Moore sitting among a group of about a dozen men. She introduced us; they were a group of parishioners from South Africa led by Father Joseph, a Deliverance priest originally from Ireland. Father Joseph had a reputation for taking groups on pilgrimage each year, so these men traveled from all over South Africa to walk the 100 kilometers from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela with him.

The author, left, joins the men from South Africa (note the matching blue Camino jackets) to pray the rosary.

I had injured my knee a few days before. Upon seeing my limp, the men were concerned and immediately offered treatment advice and backpack-carrying services.  This was their first day and they were fresh-faced and energetic. They were so kind that I’m sure they would have eagerly offered to carry my pack even if they were on their hundredth. I initially turned them down, thanking them for the offer.  Eventually, I gave in and handed my pack to a man named Derek who was quite adamant that carrying my pack on his front side would help “balance” him.

The men asked if I wanted to join them as they said the rosary, and with that we began our afternoon of walking together. I hung near the back of the group in awe. For someone whose only prior experience with Catholicism was flipping through the first few pages of a hotel room Bible, the experience was intense. The men seamlessly transitioned from prayer to prayer and from hymn to hymn over the course of several hours, never losing steam.

We eventually stopped for some water—which, the men joked, was holy—and snacks. As we relaxed, a man in his 40s who I will call Carl asked if he could share his story with me. Until about ten years ago, he had a serious drug addiction. His friends pushed him to join Narcotics Anonymous, a spiritual program for people with substance abuse problems. His life changed when he discovered Catholicism. Of his struggle he said, “God revealed himself through the devil.”

Praying for me.

Before we began walking again, the men asked for my permission to pray over me. Though a bit uneasy about the idea, I did not want to miss this experience. Carl and Derek sat on either side of me and Father Joseph sat in front, holding my hands. Derek placed a Benedictine cross in my left hand. Their prayer focused on forgiveness; they asked me to name everyone toward whom I held resentment, then prayed for them, for me, and lastly, for my knee. The powerful experience lasted about five minutes.

After breaking, I began walking only with Carl. He told me his story in greater depth and strongly encouraged that I read the Bible and that I accept God into my life. Once we caught up with the other parishioners, he jokingly declared, “We have a convert!”

While not converted, I have tremendous respect for the men and for their passion for their faith. I feel extremely lucky to have been able to spend that afternoon with them on the first day of their journey.