Another Long Day

This past Saturday - August 3rd - we took our longest training walk to date - El Camino de los Santos.  Following 8:00 am morning Mass - complete with a pilgrim's blessing at Saint Patrick Church by Father Michael Callea, MIC - we left for the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Plano, IL.  

Pilgrims on city streets

Accompanied by four peregrinas - we made our way  through the city streets of Yorkville - walking across a freshly harvested field of wheat - down country roads - stopping at the Brummel Farm to borrow bathroom facilities - finishing the trek on the city streets of Plano to arrive at Saint Mary Church where we met Deacon Doug Wells at the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  

Deacon Dale - Barb - Lourdes - Donna - Sarah - Arlene - at Plano shrine

During the morning part of the trek we were met by our support person - Dee Taylor - who stamped our credencials at each of the four check points and carried spare drinking water. 

Dee applying sello on Barb's credencial

Receiving the fourth "sello" we found a shady piece of grass where we enjoyed a lunch break and were greeted by Father Matt Lamoureux, MIC - pastor of Saint Patrick Parish. Receiving a blessing from Father Matt - we headed out on the return trek back to Yorkville to visit the site of the future shrine of Saint Gianna Molla. 

Deacon Dale - Arlene - Donna - Barb - Sarah - Lourdes -  at site in Yorkville

Ending the day in very good spirits - everyone commented on being able to walk the complete trek.  As for Arlene and myself - we again picked up more information - about ourselves and where our comfort levels are - in regards to length of each segment - making final decisions on how far we wish to walk before we take a break and total distance to be covered in a single day.  

Buen Camino
Dale and Arlene