Compostela and Credencial

Walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela was both a religious and spiritual journey that Arlene and I shared - although we walked side by side - sometimes following one another - at times as far as 50 meters apart - we each walked our own journey. Sometimes we prayed together - many times by ourselves - but we prayed daily - multiple times daily - for multiple people - for ourselves - for each other - for our families - our sons - daughter-in-laws - grandchildren - brothers - sisters - nieces - nephews - friends - the people at church - at the diocese - for our priests - Father Matt - Father Michael - Father Andy - Father Jerry - Father Doug - Bishop Conlon - Pope Francis - Sister Kathryn - The School Sisters of Saint Francis of Christ the King - for the diocesan agencies - for those we met on the Camino - for those who were "not" religious - for more people than we can ever remember.  Those prayers have been offered up - they are in God's hand now - to do with as He will - in His time - in His way.

We leave the Camino with a few pieces of paper - our Compostelas - the official documents that say we walked from Pamplona, Spain to Santiago, Spain and our Credencials - the Pilgrim Passports on which we collected stamps - sellos - that prove we either slept in that place or ate a dinner or snack along the journey. These are pieces of paper - of no material value - but a memory of a very special time in our lives when we dared to say - we can do this!

At 67 and 68 years of age we accomplished - not the impossible - but the possible - we proved to ourselves - to others - that at any age - all things are possible - with God. We were never alone on the Camino - Jesus was there with us the entire time - giving us the strength - the courage to do one simple task - to walk with Him.

We thank those who took the time to talk with us - to help us - to check up on us when we had our little medical issues - for encouragement from home - for Ryan/Sandi/Matthew tolerating Bene's barking - for Monsignor Michael checking in with us to see that we got that finger issue resolved - and especially for all the volunteers and people in the albergues and the small cafes along the Camino - for your help and smiles and your pleasant  "buen camino" day after day and pilgrim after pilgrim - we know we put you to the test very often - you never complained - you "the residents of the camino" made this possible for us and every other Pilgrim/peregrino who will walk The Way.

Buen Camino

Dale and Arlene