Eagles on the Camino

By Ariel Laguilles ’96

A unique class gives students the chance to follow a route that pilgrims have hiked for centuries. Along the way, they learn about spirituality, history—and themselves.

For many, spring break offers a needed respite. But for six students and two instructors this past year, it was a chance to bring the classroom to life as pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route in Spain.

On the first day of spring break last year, Mr. Stephen Szolosi, six students, and I flew to Madrid and then took a train to Sarria, the Spanish town where we would begin our journey. We had been building up to this point all semester during a class called “Spanish Culture and Ignatian Spirituality: The Camino de Santiago” that Mr. Szolosi and I teach together.

Offered in the spring semester as a course elective, the class incorporates Ignatian Spirituality into a curriculum that studies pilgrimages, the life of St. James, and the places and symbols along the Camino de Santiago. Throughout the class, students spend a lot of time journaling and reflecting—the goal is to step back and recognize where they have been, where they are, and where God may be calling them in the future.

The idea for the class, which was offered for the first time in the spring of 2016, was born out of casual conversations between Mr. Szolosi, the Director of Campus Ministry, and me. We wanted to create a course that would combine traditional classroom and experiential learning with cultural immersion. While the first part of the semester focuses on learning about the Camino and other topics in a more traditional academic setting, the week-long trip to Spain during spring break is when we finally get to become modern-day pilgrims, leaving everyday comforts behind in favor of a more simple and communal lifestyle.

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Since the 12th century, the faithful have walked the 500-mile Camino Francés route to visit the remains of St. James, and in doing so, receive a plenary indulgence. Today, while some walk the same route in search of adventure, others make the pilgrimage for spiritual reasons. And while those making the pilgrimage may have different starting points, they all end in the same place, at the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of St. James are buried.

Our goal was to complete a small portion of the ancient trail—the 100 kilometers from the town of Sarria to the Cathedral—in five days. On Sunday, March 19, we officially began our pilgrimage, walking 14 miles from Sarria to the town of Portomarín.

On each day of the pilgrimage, Mr. Szolosi and I gave the students questions to guide their reflections and conversations throughout the day. On the first day we walked together as a group, while on the second we ventured out in pairs. On one of the more challenging days, we asked the students to wake up on their own, and meet at a predetermined destination in the afternoon. Any doubts of getting lost were quickly appeased, since waymarks in the form of yellow arrows or cement pillars seem to appear when they are most needed.

Every evening we met for a group reflection, a time when students shared and listened to each other’s thoughts on the day. On Monday, March 20, Davis Baldwin ’17 wrote on the “Eagles on the Camino” blog that he enjoyed getting to know the people he met on the trail. “From the 19-year-old Italian who has some free time before he begins a career as a firefighter to the Canadian woman who has traveled throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii, I felt the significance of a global perspective.”

We spent each night in an albergue, a simple hostel specifically for pilgrims making their way along the Camino. These albergues also provided an environment for community living; not only were we sharing space with each other, but with others from around the world. For many of the students, meeting and getting to know fellow pilgrims added more depth and meaning to their experience.

After the fourth day of walking, Nick Egan ’18 wrote, “Today the sore legs and the blistered feet went away, and we were able to focus mainly on the Camino itself, not the pain that accompanied our walking. It rained on and off all day, which created a peaceful or even cleansing sensation for me as I trudged along the muddy paths of Galicia.”

After five days of walking, we finally reached the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago de Compostela. Students shared feelings of relief, accomplishment, and even disappointment that the pilgrimage had come to a close so soon. “I feel blessed to be able to share this experience with my brothers, and hopefully the spirit of the Santiago will continue in our individual lives beyond the physical journey,” Ryan Hannafin ’18 wrote on the blog. “Tomorrow we will go to Mass and take the train back to Madrid. I don’t think anyone wants to return to school and regular life.”

Back on Eye Street, the class culminated with a series of student presentations that were open to the Gonzaga community. The students were encouraged to use their talents and skills to convey what their pilgrimage experience was like, and what effect it had on them. Presentations included original artwork, poetry, traditional Spanish food, videos, and photos.

Although the trip had indeed come to an end, many students wrote in their final reflections that their journey continues on, beyond the Camino de Santiago, and well beyond the limits of Eye Street.

“The Camino made me realize how comfortable I live, and how going out of your comfort zone can be so rewarding,” wrote Jon Hurley '18. “It also filled me with a desire to go out and see the world, and not be complacent with living a sheltered life. It taught me to take a risk, and be a seeker. There is a whole world to see out there, and I’m just barely getting started.”

Ariel Laguilles ’96 is Chair of Gonzaga’s Modern and Classical Languages Department. This story originally appeared in the Summer 2017 issue of the Good News from 19 Eye Street. To page through the whole issue, click here.

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