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28 May 2025
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28 May 2025
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Ronan Scully shares his experience and requests people from Longford to join him on The Way
For centuries, pilgrims from all over the world have walked along Spain’s Camino de Santiago, following the many paths to Santiago de Compostela and the tomb of St. James.
Myself and sixteen amazing Self Help Africa supporters walked the last 115km of the French Way, starting in a town called Sarria and finishing in Santiago de Compostela, as all the Camino routes do. This region of Spain is called Galicia and it has prolonged rainy periods, but we were lucky with the weather - almost every day the sun was shining except maybe for one day, mostly not a poncho in sight!
We walked through beautiful forests, farmyards, villages and countryside - saw goats, horses and even a few pigs on the loose (as some of us were urban dwellers, this caused much excitement). Occasionally you’d come across a stand in the middle of nowhere, selling cold drinks, fruit or trinkets - never did I think I’d be seeing some of my fellow walkers/pilgrims buying a pair of earrings and bracelets in the middle of a Spanish forest!
There is a spirit of community on the Camino that connects everyone. Within days you will have walked alongside, talked to, and had dinner with many fellow pilgrims. Even if you begin alone, soon you will be surrounded by new friends from all corners of the globe. A community ebbs and flows around you; you never know when someone might disappear. I quickly learned to appreciate my time with others.
Walking 115km in six days is no easy feat, but you don’t have to be an experienced hiker or super athlete, anybody can take part. Our group all walked at different paces, but everyone we travelled with and met along the way were so genuine, supportive and kind. There is a like-mindedness and camaraderie, as you’re all on the same path, working towards the same destination. Amidst the crazy world we live in, it restored my faith in humanity and helped us all raise funds for such a great cause.
Whether walking the Camino for religious or spiritual reasons, or to discover its natural beauty and heritage, it’s a trip of a lifetime. It genuinely felt like being in a bubble of joy and peace for the week, where all you were thinking about was getting from A to B, enjoying the scenery along the way. You felt a real accomplishment at the end of each day - it was so nice to slow down, switch off, meet new people, reflect on one's life and spend time outdoors.
The Camino really is a beautiful journey. Pilgrims come in and out of your life, sharing moments that become imprinted on your heart forever. As I walked, I began to hear the "whys" people were on their Camino journey, such as to reach a goal, to make a decision, to pray, to reflect, revise and refocus, to forgive and many other reasons. In these wonderful and fleeting moments, pilgrims were vulnerable with me. They trusted me to hear their story.
After some time, I even did it myself. I began to share things long hidden in my heart. To my surprise, my life journey and ideas were met not with judgement, but with curiosity, reflectiveness, compassion and encouragement. It was not so hard to open up, after all. I now see that vulnerability is actually synonymous with strength and courage. I was so thankful and blessed to be surrounded by these amazing sixteen Self Help Africa supporters and pilgrims who were also raising funds for our work in Africa and who clicked along with their walking sticks and bouncing backpacks and we also registered the presence of fellow travelers along the way and their fabulousness.
"Impossible to put into words how much this week meant to me, and on top of what I got out of it - I met so many fab people." said another team member.
I managed to finish up pretty unscathed; a little bit of a small blister was starting to show on the last day, and my feet were aching a little bit - but legs up the wall (of the hotel room) helped to relieve them. I also learnt that zig-zagging your way down hills is easier on the knees! Plus my heart and soul was bursting with pride and joy at finishing my Camino journey along the picturesque French Way.
Santiago de Compostela, where the Camino finishes, is a beautiful city and it’s tradition to finish the walk by attending the pilgrim’s mass in the Cathedral. Having completed 110kms, and getting our Camino ‘passport’ stamped in each town along the way, we were delighted to receive an official Compostela certificate from the Pilgrim’s Reception Office, as recognition of our achievement.
We’re proud to have collectively raised much needed funds for Self Help Africa and grateful to all who sponsored us and sent words of support and encouragement along the way.
The Camino is a truly unique experience that inspires many, even after their journey is over. I often tell people that what I found on the Camino was a quiet peaceful place, a simple reminder of the way life could be. Some would say that it is something to hold on to when times are hard.
In finishing let me leave you with The Beatitudes of a Walker that are helping me on my journey of life. 1. Blessed are you a walker, if you discover that your “walk” opens your eyes to what is not seen. 2. Blessed are you a walker, if what concerns you most is not to arrive, as to arrive with others. 3. Blessed are you a walker, when you contemplate your “walk” and you discover it is full of names and dawns. 4. Blessed are you a walker, because you have discovered that the authentic “walk” begins when it is completed. 5. Blessed are you a walker, if your knapsack is emptying of things and your heart does not know where to hang up so many feelings and emotions. 6. Blessed are you a walker, if you discover that one step back to help another is more valuable than a hundred forward without seeing what is at your side. 7. Blessed are you a walker, when you don’t have words to give thanks for everything that surprises you at every twist and turn of the way. 8. Blessed are you a walker, if you search for the truth and make of your “walk” a life and of your life a “way” in search of the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. 9. Blessed are you a walker, if on the way you meet yourself and gift yourself with time, without rushing, so as not to disregard the image in your heart. 10. Blessed are you a walker, if you discover that your “walk” holds a lot of silence, and the silence of prayer, and the prayer of meeting with God who is waiting for you to dwell with Him.
If you’re interested in walking the Camino de Santiago for Self Help Africa in 2025 from August 10 to August 18, e-mail ronan.scully@
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