Camino de Santiago

The Program
Pilgrimage: Camino de Santiago participants enroll in a spring semester half-unit course that introduces them to the religious, cultural, and aesthetic landscape of the region and helps them cultivate their own spiritual practices and reflective imaginations. The hope is that each pilgrim will emerge from the experience with a deeper spiritual life and a greater sense of purpose and place in the world.

During spring break, students engage in a walking pilgrimage along the last 100 kilometers of the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) in Northern Spain, the most famous pilgrimage in the Western World. Pilgrims walk 12 to 15 miles per day, staying in comfortable accommodations in small villages each night. The pilgrimage draws on the rich Catholic spirituality that has shaped the route for many centuries as a means of introducing students to profound spiritual questions around meaning, purpose, prayer, and well-being.

Recent Pilgrimages
The Chaplaincy led four semester-long courses with accompanying pilgrimages along the Camino de Santiago in recent years. 

The 2018 Pilgrimage was co-led by Craig Kocher, university chaplain, and Patrick Schweiger, study abroad manager. The Pilgrimage team traveled along the last 71 miles of the French Way of the Camino de Santiago from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela.

The 2019 and 2023 Pilgrimages were co-led by Craig Kocher, university chaplain, and Bryn Taylor, associate university chaplain. The Pilgrimage team traveled along the last 65 miles of the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago from Vigo to Santiago de Compostela.

The 2024 Pilgrimage was co-led by Craig Kocher, university chaplain, and Bryn Taylor, associate university chaplain. The Pilgrimage team traveled along the last 71 miles of the French Way of the Camino de Santiago from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela.