President's Blog: From the Heart
Walking in Faith
By Eric F. Spina
After a long day of walking on the El Camino de Santiago in Spain, Father Bob Jones, S.M. ‘98, would gather University of Dayton pilgrims to reflect on their day.
“Talk about the highs, the lows, and the ‘buffaloes’ — what struck you the most, what took you by surprise,” UD’s chaplain would ask the eight Flyers who walked 160 miles in May on the famed pilgrimage that draws more than 400,000 pilgrims annually.
Matthew Himes, a junior business major from Lebanon, Ohio, applied on a whim, spurred by his roommate and a viewing of the Martin Sheen movie, The Way. He came back home with a 70-page journal and a newfound ability to venture out of his comfort zone, disconnect from the world, and be fully present to others.
His buffalo? “You can plan out some of the details, but you don’t know how the day will unfold,” he told me. “You need to embrace that, even embrace the silence.”
Adam Cartwright, a senior mechanical engineering major from Tipp City, Ohio, “spontaneously and impulsively” applied because the pilgrimage sounded like a fun adventure for the Eagle Scout. “I was surprised by how much my spirituality deepened over the 13 days,” he said. “When I started the Camino, I didn’t know how to pray. I felt like I was just saying empty words. It helped develop my spirituality and faith.”
Father Bob and religious studies professor Nick Rademacher joined the students in my office to chat about the 13-day spiritual hike — an immersive experience that began when they co-taught “Walking the Camino: Theologies and Practices Around Pilgrimage” in January as preparation for a journey that changed all of their lives.
The trip began with a three-day visit with the Marianists in Zaragoza, Spain, where Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, founder of the religious order, fled during the French Revolution and where he prayed at Our Lady of the Pillar. From there, the group took a train to Astorga, where they hiked over the next 13 days to Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, the burial place of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles. Carrying 20-pound backpacks, they walked along paths and trails, through forests and muddy ravines in temperatures that fluctuated from 40 degrees to the mid-80s. Most days began before the sun rose.
“One often hears negative appraisals of the rising generation, but with this group of students, I came away with more hope than ever for our future,” said Dr. Rademacher. “We prayed together, celebrated Mass together, shared meals together — it all contributed to a profound sense of community.”
Father Bob hiked nearly 500 miles on the El Camino two years ago with friends, but this trip left an even greater imprint. “The students’ level of engagement blew me out of the water,” he said. “It was an incredible journey because of the students.”
Walking with other pilgrims who’ve traveled this well-worn route since the 9th century, the UD group connected with others from all over the world, discovered themselves, and grew in their faith.
These are lessons of the soul you cannot pick up solely by a textbook. This is experiential learning — and living — at its transformative best.
(The autumn issue of the University of Dayton Magazine features a photo essay of the pilgrimage.)