B.C. pilgrimages: a chance to recharge spiritual batteries and ‘be freed from our phones’

The pastor at Whistler’s Our Lady of the Mountains Parish, Father Andrew L’Heureux, tucks his Mass kit into his backpack every year at this time.

It adds another roughly two kilograms to the load the 48-year-old priest will have to carry over the three-day, 100-kilometre pilgrimage he plans to make in late July. That backpack will also contain 16 kilograms of other gear: butane stove, plenty of beef jerky, sleeping bag, hammock, tarp, water purifier, toiletries, and three litres of water.

But Father L’Heureux believes hardship is part of the experience of a Catholic pilgrimage that helps believers draw closer to God.

“We have to carry all our gear with us,” he said. “You often get to a hard part where we start to break down - you break down during your walk - and you have a chance to be with God.”

Hiking to religious sites, sometimes for days on end, is a growing trend among Catholics in B.C. who use it as a way of flexing their spiritual muscles and drawing closer to God.

Our Lady of the Mountains will offer four hikes of between two and five kilometres with pilgrims starting out at 9 a.m. July 6, July 20, Aug. 10, and Aug. 24.

There will also be three much longer pilgrimages. One group will set out on a 25-kilometre walk to Brandywine Falls June 21 and 22. The longest excursion will be a 100-kilometre trek in Squamish July 21 through July 27. And the season of pilgrimages at Our Lady of the Mountains will close with a 50-kilometre trip on Mount Currie Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.

All of these pilgrimages are inspired by the arduous and very lengthy Camino de Santiago (called the Way of St. James in English) where pilgrims retrace the steps to the site where tradition holds the remains of St. James are buried in northwestern Spain.

The three Whistler Caminos, with their varying lengths and levels of challenges, are now open for registration. “All of these events give you the opportunity to be a pilgrim in your own backyard,” said Father L’Heureux.

Last year, St. James Parish in Abbotsford also launched a Camino, giving local Catholics an opportunity to experience the spiritual trek without having to buy a flight to Spain.

“It’s food for the soul and nurturing the spirit,” said Mike Girard, chair of the St. James Camino Committee in Abbotsford.

That inaugural St. James Camino drew 15 participants who walked about five kilometres in late July. This year, from July 23 to 25, Girard is expecting up to 100 participants as the route expands to offer several distance choices to accommodate as many people of varying fitness levels as possible.

This year, the shorter route will start at the local Rotary Park, wind its way through forests and, after four kilometres, conclude with a supper and holy hour at St. James Church.

The St. James Camino will also include longer distances: an 11-kilometre, half-day distance; a 23-kilometre one-day pilgrimage; a 42-kilometre two-day event; and a full 60-kilometre, three-day pilgrimage.

Girard, 65, is now training to complete the full St. James Camino. It will start with Mass at 8 a.m. at St. Mary’s in Chilliwack, include two sleepovers in community halls, and culminate in a holy hour on the feast of St. James in Abbotsford.

“I felt very much at peace during the pilgrimage (last year),” said Girard. “It was a chance to take a break from the business of life.”

“The effects are still with me because I feel called to continue it. I’ve been rejuvenated by getting involved in all of this.”

All pilgrims taking part in the St. James Camino will get a route map, information about the Camino, a prayer leaflet, an armband, and a clam shell (the traditional symbol of St. James) with the year 2024 marked on it to commemorate the event.

“We have two community halls along the way,” said Girard. “People will have to bring their own sleeping bags or bed rolls.”

Pilgrims sleeping in community halls will be able to rent cots for $15. Registration for the St. James Camino is $15 and $90 for meals along the way for a total cost of $135.

“It’s a meaningful thing: an experience of faith, food and fellowship,” said Girard. “In the evenings, we plan to have some presentations. The first night will be a presentation on the Camino in Spain.”

For  Father L’Heureux, the pilgrimages offer an alternative to the modern fascination, and some would say addiction, with electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, and cell phones, which he calls anti-life for chaining people to a way of life which is contrary to God’s plan.

“The reason we spend so much time on our phones is because we live lives of desperation, and the more time we spend in prayer, the more we are freed from that,” he said.

“It’s love that sets us free and allows us to be freed from our phones.”

Pope Francis expressed strong support for pilgrimages eight years ago during the Jubilee of Mercy when he described the benefits of such a religious devotion to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.

“A pilgrimage is not the same as a vacation,” said Pope Francis. “Making a pilgrimage to shrines is one of the most eloquent expressions of the faith of God’s people.”

Pilgrimages are often carried out in groups, but are deeply personal, he continued. “It would be a mistake to think that those who go on a pilgrimage live a spirituality that is not personal but rather of the masses. The reality is that the pilgrim carries within him his own history and faith and the lights and shadows of his own life. Each person carries within his or her heart a special wish and a particular prayer. Those who enter the shrine immediately feel they are at home, welcomed, understood, and supported.”

For more information visit stjamescamino2024.com and whistlercatholicchurch.ca/announcements/holy-family-caminos-2023.

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