I have been walking these days preparing for a three-month sabbatical starting in September. It will be a journey of prayer, renewal, study, and pilgrimage. At the heart of this time is the Camino del Norte, an ancient pilgrimage around 900 kilometres from Bayonne, France to Santiago de Compostela. For over a thousand years, pilgrims have walked these paths seeking not simply a destination, but healing and transformation. The Camino teaches a different rhythm of life. Every morning begins with a new horizon. Every step becomes a prayer. Every conversation becomes an encounter. Every challenge becomes an invitation to trust God a little more deeply. Many would say that it is not the Camino they wanted, but the Camino they needed.

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                      The Camino del Norte is considered one of the most beautiful, contemplative and difficult pilgrimage routes. Rather than crossing Spain’s central plains, I will be crossing the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia. Each region offers its own cuisine and culture. Another aspect of this pilgrimage that particularly inspires me is its deep connection with the ocean. Much of the Camino follows the Atlantic coastline, that accompany the pilgrim for hundreds of kilometres. As someone who has always found God close in nature: this coastline will become another place of prayer. These regions can be divided into the journey of the body, of the mind and of the soul. For sure, I will be asking this critical question many times over there: “Why am I here?”

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                           After arriving in Santiago de Compostela, my sabbatical will continue with time immersed in the spirituality of St John of the Cross, one of the greatest mystics of our tradition. In Santiago, I will be staying with the Carmelite friars, then I will visit the southern Spain - Malaga, Cordoba, Granada and Seville where he wrote his major writings. One of John’s spiritual contributions to the Church is the mysterious journey of faith that he called the “dark night of the soul,” which I want to understand more and perhaps could guide people who enter a dark night.

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                   Although I will be away from the parish, you will never be far from my heart. I will carry your prayers and intentions with me each day: in every sunrise, every Mass, every quiet church, every mountain path, every conversation with fellow pilgrims, every moment beside the ocean, and finally before the tomb of Saint James the Apostle in Santiago. My hope is that this pilgrimage will not simply renew one priest, but enrich our whole parish, reminding us that every Christian life is itself a Camino - a lifelong journey, one faithful step at a time, toward the heart of God.
Buen camino!