Since my first time on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, I have marvelled at the grace that comes from walking and praying. When COVID hit I saw the need to make pilgrimage opportunities available here in Canada.

My first Canadian pilgrimage was from Alkali Lake to the Immaculate Heart of Mary shrine in Cache Creek. It was an amazing journey of some 200 kilometres leading through very beautiful territory. From the time I had to be with God, to the people I met and stayed with, it was so helpful for my growth in life.

Lighting incense at the end of the Camino at Our Lady of the Mountains in Whistler.

When I was assigned to Whistler, I started playing with the idea of making Our Lady of the Mountains a pilgrimage destination. I saw that the place was a natural destination, and thought, “Why not use what God has created to bring healing and growth in the lives of God’s beloved children?”

As I started working more on my own healing journey it occurred to me that the pilgrimage could be called the Camino of the Holy Family. The inspiration came from knowing that we are healed by love and that walking with the Holy Family would give us the unique opportunity to be adopted and, in a certain sense, reparented through the hard moments of our lives.

It is interesting that God designed the human person to be affected by hard moments of our lives and, fascinatingly, with a need to bring them up over and over again. This reality often causes us much stress and can bring real struggles and even paralysis.

I believe very firmly in a good and loving God who has no desire to harm us. He intends these memories of past pain and neglect to bring us into his love so we can profit from each and every moment of our life.

“So far we have had four pilgrimages to Whistler, each of different lengths and levels of challenge.”

What better way to do so than to journey with the incredible love of the Holy Family, bringing these issues to them so their love can heal us. It has worked in my life and also changed the lives of those I have been blessed to pray with.

So far we have had four pilgrimages to Whistler, each of different lengths and levels of challenge. Each was beautiful and offered a chance to spend time with God and process things in the love of the Holy Family.

I was recently praying about having some type of beautiful ceremony to complete our pilgrimages. At the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the botafumeiro – a large incense burner suspended from the ceiling – is swung from side to side. On one pilgrimage I was able to participate and remember watching the immense weight and the incense rising, representing our prayers soaring as a sweet-smelling fragrance before our God. The idea came to me of carrying grains of incense with us as we travelled and prayed on our pilgrimages.

If you feel inspired to join the Holy Family in our upcoming pilgrimages, contact our Lady of the Mountains Parish at whistlercatholicchurch@telus.net or 604-905-4781.

Camino pilgrims. “When I was assigned to Whistler, I started playing with the idea of making Our Lady of the Mountains a pilgrimage destination,” writes Father L’Heureux.

Keep in mind that all of the Caminos are rather rustic and include backpacking, camping, and bringing your own food and gear. There is also a small camping charge.

The next dates are:

  • July 16-21: 100 km, Squamish to Whistler (for experienced backpackers)
  • Sept. 1-3: 50 km, Mount Currie to Whistler

Father Andrew L’Heureux is pastor of Our Lady of the Mountains Parish in Whistler.