Episode 80 - Keynote from the 2024 American Pilgrims Annual Gathering of Pilgrims

What makes the Camino special? We are often advised today to embrace the fact that it’s “your Camino,” to do it “your” way. While there is certainly some legitimacy to that perspective, it also risks diminishing some of the most meaningful and potent qualities of the experience, qualities that are embedded in the communal nature of pilgrimage. By thinking instead about pilgrimage as both “our Camino” and “their Camino,” and conceiving of ourselves as North Americans as guests joining a larger whole, we can simultaneously respect the traditions and practices of the way, while also increasing the possibilities of a truly transformative experience.