For many college students, summer is a time to slow down, rest, and reflect on what’s been accomplished over the past year. For Daniel Liberatore, second-year Borromeo College Seminarian, reflection was certainly a summer priority, but slowing down to do it was far from his mind.
In June, Daniel set out from Saint Jean Pied de Port in France as a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago. Translated as the Way of St. James, the Camino or the Way dates back to the 9th century, following the footsteps of Christian pilgrims who journeyed through the Iberian Peninsula to the burial place of St. James the Apostle.
While pilgrims traveled to Santiago de Compostela to reverence the remains of St. James, they quickly found that the Camino, the Way and their journey to this holy site, both physically and spiritually, was as important as any finish line in Santiago.
“The journey is where human growth happens. Filled with daily joy, success, challenge, and hardship, growth happens when we’re stretched beyond being comfortable. It’s at these moments when we have the opportunity, the grace, to grow into the best versions of ourselves — the people God is calling us to be,” said Liberatore.
“Arriving in Santiago de Compostela at the tomb of St. James was incredible, but the greatest value was in my journey. And for that, I’m filled with abundant gratitude.”
In total, Daniel walked for 28 days and 500+ miles, beginning each day around 6 a.m., and ending around 1:30 p.m. in the company of other pilgrims.
Of the possessions Daniel brought with him, none were more valuable than his Breviary, the book of daily prayers of the Catholic Church, and his sandals. Perhaps not too different from what St. James himself may have taken with him as he set out to preach the Gospel of Jesus, “take nothing for [your] journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt—but to wear sandals…” (Mark 6:7-9).
The journey afforded Daniel the opportunity to experience in a new and profound way God’s unconditional love, and recognize what one truly needs to live a joyful, fulfilled life.
“In the beauty of His creation, in centuries old Churches, in the people I met along the Way—God surrounded me with blessings! And even though a sinner, His love for me, and all people, is so great that nothing we do can separate us from Him. Finding lasting joy, hope, and peace lies in an encounter with Christ, in our journey to experience the depths of Christ’s love.”
Click on the photo above to view a slideshow of Daniel’s pilgrim journey.