Continuing the Walk

The intent in designing El Camino de los Santos is to be an ongoing camino experience.  As we seek to promote development we will continue to look at alternate routes.  As current construction along US Route 34 continues - we are limited in safe routes to recommend.  We have been told that a bike/walking path is planned between Yorkville and Plano. This would create a shorter route and allow future trekkers access to facilities such as toilet facilities and food - two important ingredients of any trek.  Shown below is one trek that avoids back country roads and follows a major highway - more noisy - less meditative - but shorter and closer to the above facilities.  We offer it as one alternate.  As we look at other routes - those will be added.
Ultimately - we would like to develop an interesting and safe lollipop loop - to make this camino as enjoyable as possible for future participants.

Continuing 

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Buen Camino
Dale and Arlene

August Update

The time has come to let this Camino now take a rest.  It has served us well as a training tool for the Camino de Santiago in Spain.  We are now double checking our list of equipment and preparing to head to Spain.  Our hope is that other trekkers will discover this blog and walk their own Camino de los Santos.  Hopefully by next spring all the major road construction will be completed and other paths to Saint Mary in Plano and Saint Patrick in Yorkville will be developed.  There is some redundancy in the present Camino - but we have been looking at alternate routes which we will publish in the future.  Discussion is underway with both parishes to develop permanent Camino teams to continue to promote the concept of walking pilgrimages - for both teens and adults. 

Work is progressing on the new shrine in Yorkville and should be mostly completed by next April or May.  With the new shrine and alternate paths we have hope for continuance of this Camino.

As we move from this blog we return to Dale and Arlene's Camino - we hope you follow our adventure into and across northern Spain.  We are allowing ourselves 45 days in Spain - so with the grace of God and using good old common sense we will be able to make it all the way to Saniago de Compostela and the "end of the world"!

Buen Camino
Dale and Arlene

Participation Forms

There are two forms that are required to participate on this Camino for August 3rd

Registration Deadline August 1, 2013

You must click the links provided below and print out each page. 

Your completed "Participation Form" should be mailed to:

 DeaconTravel Ministries  

PO Box 124   

Bristol, IL 60512

 OR

You may Sign and Scan your Form and send as an email attachment

to:  camino@deacontravel.org

If you want a commemorative Camino t-shirt, then indicate your shirt

size on the Participation Form and enclose your donation of $20 (if mailing)

otherwise your donation will be collected the day of the Camino.

Checks should be made out to:  St Gianna Molla Shrine Fund

Camino Participation Form (pdf)

Camino Participants Information Form (pdf)

c

camino@deacontravel.org

No email?  Phone Your Questions to Deacon Dale

630.334.5065

Buen Camino

Deacon Dale 

An Invitation

JOIN DEACON DALE & ARLENE METCALFE ON

El Camino de los Santos

(The Way of the Saints)

An Original Walking Pilgrimage Developed By Deacon Dale and Arlene Metcalfe

 For DeaconTravel Ministries

Saturday - August 3, 2013 

Come Journey With Us

A Two-Part One Day Walking Pilgrimage From

A) St. Patrick, Yorkville To Our Lady of Guadalupe

Shrine at St Mary Church, Plano

B) St. Mary, Plano To The Site Of The St. Gianna Beretta Molla Shrine At St. Patrick, Yorkville

Morning Pilgrimage – 8:00am – 1:00 pm

(includes Morning Mass)

Afternoon Pilgrimage – 1:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Adults And Youth Welcome To Participate

Participation Forms – Registration  – Additional Information

Available At  http://thewayofthesaints.blogspot.com

Sponsored By The Knights of Columbus – God’s Divine Mercy Council #14463

(All Proceeds Benefit The Saint Gianna Molla Shrine Project)

 

Buen Camino

Dale and Arlene

The Walk - Part 2

We had so many favorable responses from the half-camino we did on July 6th that we are now scheduling the full day version for Saturday - August 3, 2013.  We will begin with Holy Mass at 8:00 am at Saint Patrick in Yorkville - then leave at 8: 45 am for the shrine at Saint Mary Parish in Plano. Following a half hour lunch break we will do the return trip to Yorkville.  This trek is open to everyone.  Participation forms must be filled out in order to participate. 

You may click here for a printable form:   Participation Form  and for additional information click here: Camino Information.

To register we ask that you email us at: camino@deacontravel.org and attached your completed participation forms.

The Knights of Columbus have printed some bright safety orange t-shirts specifically for this camino that are available for a $20 donation to the Saint Gianna Molla Shrine Fund. Shirts are available in Large - Extra-Large and 2X-Large.

Buen Camino
Dale and Arlene 

The Camino

Saturday - July 6, 2013 - 20 peregrinos participated in the very first El Camino de los Santos - in Illinois - walking from Yorkville, IL to Plano, IL - a 13 kilometer trek.  It took approximately 3 hours 15 minutes from beginning to completion - which includes about 20 minutes for breaks - check ins and receiving 4 sellos.  Everyone who participated had a great time and thanked us profusely for designing this experience.  We hope to repeat this again and in early August we are aiming to walk this Camino both ways for a total of 26 kilometers.  Unfortunately conflicting commitments Saturday prevented those participating from being able to walk the full Camino. 

Starting at site of St. Gianna Molla Shrine - Yorkville, IL

The Camino begins

City Trekking

City trekking

Father Michael arrives with his water 

Highway trekking 

 Highway

 Getting off the highway 

 Heading into the grass

 The Camino "feel"

 

Back on city sidewalks 

 Bright Safety Orange event shirts 

 2nd check point 

Taking a break 

Sellos #2 - Red - Yorkville - Foxes

Getting her sellos 

Morning Prayer 

Father Matt - Charplain Arlene - Deacon Dale 

Time to head out 

Bridge time - water feature 

 Keeping feet dry 

Heading into tall grass 

Walking a quiet country road 

About 2/3 completed at this point 

Check point #3 - Reapers purple sellos 

Last break - time to head out 

Starting the last 2 kilometers 

On to the Shrine 

Street trekking 

 Thank You Knights for the shirts 

Arriving at the Shrine 

Welcome peregrinos

Pilgrim  prayers 

Hail Mary 

Thank you Pat for helping out 

Father Matt in Prayer 

 Final pilgrim prayers 

As a training tool for Arlene and myself this proved valuable - again - we picked up hints and tips and discovered more ways to enhance our planned Camino later this year.  At this point we have fallen in love with the Camino expereince and see this as one of the new directions that we will follow as we continue to evangelize and bring others closer to God and closer to themselves.

Buen Camino

Dale and Arlene Metcalfe

Update Schedule

As of July 1st - we have approximately 15 people planning on walking with us to Saint Mary Church in Plano.  Nobody has indicated that they intend to walk in the afternoon . We also have been notified of a possible conflict with the Knights of Columbus officer installation that day - some of those being installed are walking with us and there is a concern that they would not be finished in time to attend the installation service following Saturday evening Mass - therefore -  we have made the decision to only walk half of the Camino de los Santos on Saturday July 6th from Yorkville to Plano.  This will allow more time at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and return to Yorkville early afternoon.

Arlene Training

There will be another opportunity to make the full walk in August.  We are checking schedules and verifying times to avoid any future conflicts. If everything checks out - we will do the full camino in another month. 

Buen Camino
Dale and Arlene Metcalfe 

The Credencial

Today we are showing you a sample of the Credencial del Peregrino that will be given to all participants walking El Camino de los Santos. This is our version of the pilgrim's credencial given to those walking the Camino in Spain.  It is used to prove that each individual has walked past the various check points along the Camino.  In Spain this is used to allow a peregrino to stay in the pilgrim hostels at a low and reasonable fee.  On our Camino this will simply show that no shortcuts were taken and the route was followed as designed.  

Outside of Credencial

Inside of Credencial 

Inside of Credencial

When all is said and done - walking the Camino becomes a fond memory - the Credencial keeps the peregrino connected to those memories and the changes that took place while on Camino.

Buen Camino

Deacon Dale 

Firmas y Sellos

Literally Firmas y Sellos means signatures and stamps.  When walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela one has to collect signatures or stamps from each pilgrim hostel - alburgue - that they stay at - as a way of proving that they are truly a peregrino - pilgrim - walking on pilgrimage. If one does not have the pilgrim "passport" - a Credencial - they have to find other sleeping arrangements.  In order to help those walking El Camino de Los Santos feel more like a peregrino in Spain -  we have designed our own version of the pilgrim passport.  Each peregrino will receive a Credencial before we begin our trek.  There are four spaces on the Credencial for each leg of this Camino. All four spaces are reserved for four special stamps representing Saint Patrick Church - Saint Mary Church - the Yorkville Foxes - the Plano Reapers.

   

Each sello is color coded and will be stamped on the Credencial as the peregrino passes that check point. Everyone who walks the entire Camino will end up with eight sellos in total - four for each leg. These will become a souvenir and memento of their accomplishment and reminder of this spiritual experience.  Coming next a picture of the Credencial - until then keep on trekking..

Buen Camino

Deacon Dale