” The Young, tall, handsome and serious pilgrim from US.”

“The Albergue Guacelmo has a ritual: every day at 5:30 pm they offer the afternoon tea with Earl Grey tea and digestive cookies.

“The tea break was a treat, not just because of the Earl Grey and the cookies, but because the hospitaleros were stars. They had found a book in the albergue with the stories of pilgrimages in the previous centuries, with details of the hardship the pilgrims had to endure without “Compeed”, high tech hiking shoes, goretex jackets, and dry-fit t-shirts.

“Once the story-telling finished, we started a small talk with the pilgrims around and this young, tall, handsome and serious pilgrim caught my accent and asked where I was from: “Buenos Aires, Argentina”, I said; he asked me then the question many had done before: “Do you know Pope Francis?”, and to his surprise, I said yes. We moved into the conversation about how was that I had met the Pope, and we ended talking about why we were in the Camino and as if we were in the confessionary he said he was walking for discernment about going into priesthood. He said he was mostly walking by himself, so he could pray and offer his pilgrimage for wisdom, he asked me to be discret about that. His eyes were sad, he said it was more difficult than he had expected. I couldn’t really say much.

“That night my Camino family and I decided to do some cooking. By mass time, I saw the Young pilgrim and I asked him to join our homemade dinner, he smiled from ear to ear. We listened to the vespers with Gregorian chanting and the mass, heated the meal and as he did not arrive, we sit to eat.

“We did the dishes, most went to sleep, and I stayed in the kitchen. The hospitalera came in pajamas and sat to chat with me while waiting. The Young pilgrim came around 10 PM, it was easy to tell he had been crying. He apologized for being late and missing the dinner; I told him to sit down as I would heat the meal for him, he cried again. The hospitalera brought a chocolate for dessert; a “feast” he said, he continued: “today is my younger brother’s birthday, he messaged me saying he missed me at his birthday party”. His eyes were teary again. I just felt how much he was battling while walking. Before going to sleep I gave him my phone, it had no chip, I just had some texts I wanted to read while walking, one was “When the walking becomes the prayer” from Andy, a priest. He refused at first but took it.

“We met some other days, but we really did not talk much. The last night, before arriving to Santiago, I asked him if I could join him in the walking so as not to go alone as my “family” was not willing to change their routine, I promised him I would walk behind him so as not to interfere with his walking and praying. He said ok. The following day, we set out together. We started quiet but the conversation went deeper and deeper as it poured rain. By Monte de Gozo, he took the rosary from his pocket and asked me if I would pray with him; I nodded. We finished the pilgrimage that way, at times we couldn’t tell if what was rolling in our cheeks were tears or rain drops. That changed both of us.

“Fast forward 14 months, he came to Buenos Aires as part of his missionary work in Bolivia.
In the 2 weeks he stayed in my hometown, he became an active member of the parish where I first heard about the Camino when I was 16, he met my family and neighbors, and we shared many meals and many conversations. He left saying he felt I was the sister he did not have.

“Lots have happened since, I am so proud of him and so grateful for his trust that afternoon over tea, in the albergue. I hope to visit him soon. If possible for you, please pray for him. ”

Cris