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