Camino de Santiago

written on March 13th, 2013 by Carlo Villarica

The discovery of the tomb of the Apostle, Saint James the Greater in Galicia, Northwest Spain in the year 813 AD, made Santiago de Compostela, one of the three greatest pilgrimage destinations during the Middle Ages, together with Jerusalem and Rome. Through the centuries this Camino de Santiago (the Way of Saint James) gave life to villages, towns and cities; led to the construction of churches, shrines and monasteries; and inspired artists, architects, musicians, poets, kings and bishops. It continues in our present time to fascinate pilgrims from all stations of life from almost every part of the world, including the Philippines. The Camino de Santiago has been declared a European cultural Itinerary and a UNESCO World Heritage Route.

Set apart in time by more than a thousand years and in distance by thousands of miles away, the Camino de Santiago beyond my wildest dreams, has become a personal journey. I have done this so-called “the Way of St. James” two times. All in all, from St. Jean Pied-de-Port in 2009 and then from Le Puy-en-Velay in 2011, I have walked more than 2200 kilometers from France to Spain.

The first time I did the Camino was in 2009 in memory of my mother, Maria Salome Cabigao Domingo, who did that year on the 16^th of January. Also at that year, our former President Corazon C. Aquino was very sick. I offered the Camino as a prayer for her recovery.

In 2011, I celebrated the 30^th anniversary of my religious profession as a Salesian of Don Bosco and the 20^th anniversary of my priestly ordination. The Camino provided me the time and space to reflect upon my life and my vocation. It was during this Camino that I celebrated my 49^th birthday.

I am sharing these photographs as a pilgrim because a photographer, I am not. I have so much admiration and respect for photographers and appreciate their dedication and sacrifices for their art that I am not worthy to bear the appellation – photographer. I do hope, nonetheless that through these pictures, you may one day consider to make the Camino de Santiago a personal journey.

As I look back, I realized that the Camino has given me both a moment to grieve – the loss of someone I love the most, my mother and a lifetime to celebrate – my birthday, my vocation and my blessings. Through the Camino, the saddest moment of my life led me to one of the happiest moments of my life when I walked one of the greatest journeys ever known to man and reached one of the greatest destinations in the world, Compostela (campus stellae), the Field of Stars.

Buen Camino,

 

 

Fr. Manuel Leandro C. Domingo, Jr., SDB, pilgrim

*The text was from the Camino de Santiago photo exhibit in Casino Espanol on March 13, 2013. The exhibit is scheduled to run for the next 2 weeks. Please drop by, look at the photos and read the fascinating commentary. If you want to take the tour of the Road to Saint James, please send us a message. We’ll be updating the website to include tour details soon.