He had second thoughts on whether he would join the walk or not.
Days before he started on the long journey, Neil Mark Galo, 23, doubted if he could make his first Camino along with other pilgrims in Compostela.
Camino is Spanish for path. In the town of Compostela, Cebu, the word also refers to a spiritual exercise held each time the town fiesta comes along.
“Nagduha-duha gyud ko kay first nako ug naa koy gipamati sa lawas. Layo kaayo ang lakawon ug makalahutay ba kaha ko (I was hesitant at first especially since I have a health condition. The distance is very long and I was not sure if I could sustain the walk),” said Galo who suffers from asthma.
Prodded by his strong faith, Galo nonetheless joined 63 other pilgrims who took the two-day walk which traversed 28-kilometers in the mountain barangays of Compostela and Liloan, last July 14 and 15.
Fr. Gonzalo Candado, the parochial vicar of Compostela parish, said the pilgrimage called El Camino de Santiago de Compostela (The ways of Saint James of Compostela) is a “spiritual exercise” adapted from Compostela, Spain.
“The Camino is not just a physical exercise but a spiritual exercise. Maglakaw ka nga magtan-aw sa imong kaugalingon ug makapamalandong ka (While walking, you get the chance for reflection and introspection),” he said.
Compostela, located about 31.6 km north of Cebu, is said to be the first parish in the country that practiced Camino as part of the town’s religious activities in line with its fiesta celebration to honor their patron, St. James the Apostle.
The town’s first Camino was held last 2016 by Compostela Mayor Joel Quiño, together with Parish Priest Fr. Scipio Deligero and seven others.
Their route covered about 165 kms from Badian town all the way to Compostela. The walk lasted for ten days.
The town’s feast falls on July 25 but this year, the two-day trek began ten days earlier last July 14.
The Walk
On the day of their walk, pilgrims set out as early as five a.m. from the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago De Compostela church in Barangay Poblacion.
The Camino participants were composed of the young and the old with a 72-year-old grandfather as the oldest.
Fr. Candado, who led the activity, said each pilgrim brought along a stone from their house as a symbol of the petition which they wanted to offer to God.
From the church, the pilgrims went straight to Barangay Cabadiangan, towards the mountain village of Mulao in the town of Liloan.
Along the way, the pilgrims faced challenges which tested their resolve to continue the long walk, recounted Fr. Candado.
“Usa sa mga hindrances didto ang imohang gidala na pagbati. Pero imoha lang tugotan ang Ginoo nga mahimong driver sa imong paglakaw (One of the hindrances is your own feelings; but you just have to allow God to be the driver of your journey),” said the priest.
Meanwhile, Galo, himself, was running short of breath; but he decided to persevere taking short breaks in between.
“It’s exhausting. You’ll feel very tired but you become energized when you see others who can do it,” said Fr. Candado in Cebuano.
Each time the pilgrims reached a chapel, the participants would take out their customized “passports” to be marked by the chapel’s leader.
As the pilgrims went on their trek, some residents who met them along the road would send petitions; while others offered them food.
From Barangay Mulao in Liloan, the pilgrims crossed an old hanging bridge to reach the neighboring town.
At around 12 p.m., the pilgrims were greeted with smiles from residents of Compostela as they made their way back into the town and had their lunch.
“Nindot kaayo paminawon kay (The experience is very wonderful because) you are not just walking but you are travelling with prayer,” said Fr. Candado.
From Barangay Mulao, the team continued their journey to Barangay Basak.
They arrived at 6:30 p.m. and rested for the night.
As early as 7 a.m. the following day, refreshed, the pilgrims continued their long journey.
They arrived at a place which they called “Calvary” in Barangay Bagalnga, still in Compostela.
In Calvary, at the foot of a long cross, the pilgrims put the stones they brought from home which represented their intentions all throughout their journey.
“Madala ka sa intention nila nga bisan diay sa akong kalisod, bisan diay sa akong problema sa pamilya, I have God nga mokuyog nako (You get really touched by their intention that even if life is difficult, even if you have problems, God is with us),” said the priest recounting that most of the pilgrims cried.
“I asked for good health for my family,” said Galo who is also praying to pass an upcoming Licensure Exam for Teachers.
The pilgrims then safely headed straight back to the church in Compostela with their spirits renewed and their lives transformed.
Realizations
“Bisan unsa pa na nga problema nga moabot, bisan mas taas pa na sa bukid, kon mag-ampo lang gyod ka kay makaya ra na nimo moatubang ana. Mag-ampo lang gyod ka ug paminawon ra na niya
(Whatever problem you encounter. It may be bigger than the mountain, but if you continue to pray, you can handle it. Pray and you will be heard by God),“ said Galo.
For Fr. Candado, the experience made him realize that Camino was similar to life in general.
“Ang nakanindot sa Camino kay fulfilling kaayo siya. Bisan tan-aw nimo dili nimo makaya, pero nakaya nimo. Ma-feel gyod nimo ang presensya sa Ginoo sa paglakaw (What’s nice about Camino is that you feel very fulfilled. Even if you think you could no longer go on, you can do it. You feel God’s presence when you walk),” he said.
Lone pilgrim
Days after the 64 pilgrims held their successful Camino, Vhen Iesus Fernandez, a seminarian, followed the same trail alone.
With his backpack filled with only his most basic needs, Fernandez went on his first Camino from Saturday to Sunday (July 28 and 29).
“I never thought of doing it alone. All I wanted was to experience it after having felt the overwhelming emotions of the first 2-day Camino peregrinos (pilgrims),” he said.
Like the others, Fernandez started his journey on the same route which spanned at least six barangays of the towns of Compostela and Liloan.
Fernandez, who is awaiting his ordination said that Camino was an opportunity for him to self-evaluate and reflect.
“It’s like desiring for a rather longer time, opportune for introspection or self-evaluation,” he said.
Fernandez brought with him intentions which included a prayer for priests.
According to him, his personal challenge was to endure the physical pain brought about by several kilometers of walking.
“But that is part of the nature of the Camino — setting aside one’s comfort for a time of reflection,” Fernandez said.
While on his journey, Fernandez felt that God worked miracles through the strangers that he met.
“I have not informed anyone from the barangays that I will have my Camino. Blessed as I am, I was able to take meals for the 2-day journey. I slept comfortably in an air-conditioned room. I was able to have breakfast already prepared for me,” he said.
“You see how God has prepared everything,” Fernandez added.
From his two-day experience, the future priest realized that there has never been a time that God left him alone.
“He is always with me — through my family, relatives, friends, the people around me, others I meet along the way, and other blessings. God’s hand is always at work,” he said.
Asked what things a first-time Camino pilgrim should bring, he said: Just a light bag. Bring all your concerns and offer them all to God.”
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