Students invited to traverse the Camino de Santiago
Since the Middle Ages, pilgrims have walked the Camino de Santiago to reach the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. Salve Regina students are invited to share the experiences of pilgrims on the Camino and hike 150 miles of Spanish countryside during a short-term study abroad program scheduled for May 2015.
The trip will be led by Michael Xiarhos, a doctoral candidate at Salve Regina and an adjunct professor in the Department of Religious and Theological Studies.
“I have walked the Camino twice and found it to be a life-changing experience,” Xiarhos said. “I wanted to introduce students to the idea of pilgrimage and how it can be a powerful experience for people of faith and for those who lack faith. The Camino draws people from different faith traditions as well as ardent atheists.”
Students will walk about 15 miles daily. Following each day’s walk, they will take part in discussion groups addressing the cultural, religious and even secular power of the Camino. Sacred locations, shrines and churches will be the focus alongside the Camino itself.
A secondary focus will also be the “communal living” aspect of the Camino. Pilgrims are expected to care for each other while on the road, and students will explore this concept as a part of the greater “Camino experience.”
“I often describe the Way of St. James (the Camino) as the way the world should be,” Xiarhos said. “People along the way help each other, care for each other, provide for each other and protect each other. There is a power along the Camino that transcends Christianity and all faith systems.”
The program will run May 14-27, 2015, and the deadline to apply is Nov. 15. For complete details, consult the program brochure or contact the Office of International Programs at (401) 341-2372 or studyabroad@salve.edu.
