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 

New Camino Logo

Here is something new for the readers of this blog - a new logo for El Camino de los Santos.  We will be using this logo on the commemorative t-shirts for the trek that we are sponsoring on July 6, 2013.  There is no fee to participate in the Saturday trek from Saint Patrick Parish in Yorkville to Saint Mary Parish in Plano.  However if you want a shirt to commemorate your participation you need to make a minimum donation to the Saint Gianna Beretta Molla Shrine Fund of $20 

For your donation you will get a 50/50 t-shirt with the logo above printed in blue on a bright orange shirt. The back of the shirt will have the Knights of Columbus logo.  A limited quantity will be available on the day of the walk.  If you would like to reserve one for yourself please let us know very soon.

Buen Camino

Deacon Dale and Chaplain Arlene

The Shrine - To Be

The morning part of our July 6th trek takes us from Saint Patrick Parish in Yorkville, Illinois to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Saint Mary Church in Plano, Illinois.  That is a new shrine and was dedicated by the bishop this past May 2013.  It is almost complete - with a few final touches still waiting to be completed.

The afternoon part of this trek begins at 1:00pm leaving from Saint Mary Parish in Plano and heading to the site of the future Shrine of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla.  Right now the location of that shrine is a patch of grass located behind the site of  the former Emmaus House at Saint Patrick Parish.  Although this new shrine is still in development stages - we will be able to at least visit the site.  This is history in the making.

Shrine of Saint Gianna Molla

There are no artist's renderings yet - most of the pictures and shrines already constructed typically depict Saint Gianna with one or more children.  She was a mother - wife and physician - and in the process of giving birth to her last daughter - made the decision to save the baby - rather than herself - an act that has earned her sainthood.  There are numerous other women who have made this same tough decision - and it is for those women - and for all who face the decision of giving life or taking it - that this shrine is being constructed.   Led by Father Matt Lamoureux MIC - Pastor of Saint Patrick - the Yorkville Knights of Columbus Council is spearheading a campaign to finance this project.  One of the focuses of the Knights is solid support of the Pro-Life issue.  

This Camino experience - has as a second focus and intent - the goal of bringing the issue of Pro-Life to the attention of those previously unexposed.  We support Father Matt and his vision and pray that though our tiny efforts on this Camino - all of us who participate may not only be exposed to the Camino experience but also deepen our own personal commit to Life. 

Buen Camino

Deacon Dale and Chaplain Arlene          

The Shrine

The Shrine to focus on today is Our Lady of Guadalupe in Plano located at Saint Mary Church. This morning Arlene and I trekked to the Shrine.  It took about 3 hours and 10 minutes to go from our home in Bristol to Plano.  Temperature was comfortable - warm but not hot.  We discovered that when you walk the back country roads you get a first hand opportunity to see how well or how poorly some roads are maintained.  Since most of the shoulders are filled with weeds that create extra drag on our boots - we chose to walk the blacktop. It is interesting how quickly 3 hours passes.  We did stop twice for short 5 minute breaks.  Upon arrival at the Shrine we said our prayers of thanksgiving for safelty on our trek.  Then we spent another 15 minutes at Saint Mary's adoration chapel before we headed back home.

Arlene Praying at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine - Plano, IL

Our training continues for both the Camino in Spain and our Mini-Camino on July 6th.  If you are free and able - please join us.

Buen Camino
Dale and Arlene