Pilgrims of Hope: 120 pilgrims from the EDUCAR Network walk the Camino de Santiago in the Augustinian style

From August 3 to 10, 2025, a group of 120 people from the educational centers of the EDUCAR Network (Augustinian Recollect International Educational Network) will be walking the Camino de Santiago in an international pilgrimage marked by the motto “Pilgrims of Hope”. Students, teachers, families, administrative personnel, alumni, religious and other persons linked to the Augustinian Recollect Family from Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru and Spain are participating. This pilgrimage, organized in the Augustinian style, is not simply a walk; it is a proposal that invites us to live three essential dimensions: interiority, community and mission. It is about walking to discover God in the depths of the heart, to share the experience with other pilgrims who seek the same and, finally, to transmit with joy what has been lived on the Camino. In addition, this initiative takes on a special significance as it is celebrated in the Jubilee Year 2025 under the motto“Pilgrims of Hope”, which was assumed by the Order for the year 2025.

The Stages of the Camino

The group has chosen to make their pilgrimage through the French Way, considered the most emblematic and traditional Jacobean route, not only for its profound historical and spiritual value, but also for being the route that offers the best infrastructure and services, which makes it the most suitable option for those who are starting for the first time in this experience of walking to Santiago; the itinerary designed for this occasion began on August 3 with the transfer to Santiago de Compostela. from Madrid to Triacastela, starting point where the next day, August 4, the first 25 kilometers will be covered until reaching Sarria, from where on August 5 will continue to Portomarín completing a distance of 22 kilometers, and then, on August 6, face the stage that connects Portomarín with Palas de Rei along another 25 kilometers, while on August 7 the longest day is planned, walking 29 kilometers from Palas de Rei to Arzúa, from where on August 8 the group will advance 19 kilometers to Pedrouzo, leaving the last stage for August 9, the day on which they will cover the last 19 kilometers that separate them from the long-awaited finish line: Santiago de Compostela, where on August 10, after having lived an unforgettable experience, they will return to Madrid, thus closing this very special pilgrimage. In total, 140 kilometers will be covered on foot during the pilgrimage. On August 3, the pilgrimage made a stop at the Monastery of El Salvador de Benavente, where the Cistercian community welcomed the group. There, the Eucharist was celebrated to send out the pilgrims, thus beginning the Jacobean experience.

The Way of St. James: origin, meaning and actuality

The Camino de Santiago is one of the oldest and most significant Christian pilgrimages in the world. It arose in the Middle Ages when, according to tradition, the remains of the apostle St. James the Greater were discovered in Galicia, making Santiago de Compostela an important pilgrimage center. Over the centuries, the Camino has remained a spiritual and cultural route, welcoming millions of pilgrims of all nationalities and beliefs who, moved by faith, the desire for self-improvement or the search for meaning, walk its paths to the tomb of the Apostle.

The Compostela and the Pilgrim’s Credential

One of the most important symbols of the Camino is the Compostela, the official certificate issued by the Cathedral of Santiago that certifies having made the pilgrimage for religious or spiritual reasons. To obtain it, it is necessary to cover at least the last 100 km on foot (or 200 km by bicycle). To validate the route, the pilgrim must carry the Credential, a personal document that is stamped in hostels, churches and establishments along the Camino, serving as a testimony of the route traveled.

The Camino today: More alive than ever

Today, the Camino de Santiago is not only a religious phenomenon, but also a melting pot of cultures and a space for encounter and personal transformation. The Compostelan Holy Year (or Jubilee Year) is celebrated when July 25, the feast of St. James, falls on a Sunday, which happens in 2025, giving a special meaning to each step of the pilgrims. The pilgrimage of the EDUCAR Network is framed in this millenary tradition, but with the own seal of the Augustinian Recollect charism, offering the participants an integral experience that not only remains in the physical journey, but invites to walk inwardly, towards others and towards a transforming mission.

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