Dennis and JoAnne Rogers, a retired couple from Lynnfield, recently engaged in a tradition more than 12 centuries old: the pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James.
Pilgrimages were a major part of life in Medieval Europe. Often the only opportunity people ever had to travel more than a few miles from where they were born, pilgrimages back then were a church- and ruler-sanctioned journey from home to important holy sites across Europe. In many places across the continent, peasants were not even permitted to travel without good reason, and one of the only reasons considered good enough was to make a pilgrimage.
The Camino de Santiago is a group of major pilgrimage routes that all lead to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in a city of the same name in Galicia, Spain. It is built over the tomb of the apostle St. James, who is said to have brought Christianity to the Iberian Peninsula.
The Rogers’ trip took them along what’s called Camino Francés, or the French Way, which was traditionally the most popular since a majority of medieval pilgrims made their way from or through France. Their trip began in Sarria, Spain, and took them 72 miles along the French Way to Santiago de Compostela over eight days of walking.
According to the Rogers, most pilgrims carry a “passport” — known officially as a “credencial” — which they get stamped at their lodgings along the route. The passport serves as proof that the pilgrims arrived at Compostelo via an official route within a certain amount of time. That entitles pilgrims to a “compostela,” the official certificate showing that the person completed their pilgrimage.
According to Pilgrim Travel, “the Catholic Monarchs” Isabella I and Ferdinand II of Spain (married in 1469 and ruling through to 1516), built and funded official “hospitals” along the Camino de Santiago, which provided accommodation to pilgrims as they made their journey. In that time, a compostela would entitle pilgrims to three days of free accommodation at the Pilgrim’s Hospital in Santiago de Compostela. Today, the Pilgrim’s Hospital is a hotel, but it carries on this tradition by providing free food to a limited number of compostela carrying pilgrims each day.
The Rogers booked their trip through a travel agency that specializes in this exact pilgrimage, and the agency took care of porting their belongings between their accommodations each day. The agency also offered a car service if they found they were unable to continue for the day at some point along the walk.
“I guess that gave me the courage to say, ‘OK, I’m gonna do this,'” said JoAnne Rogers, who may not have otherwise done so due to a prior knee injury. They didn’t use the car service, but knowing it was there made the challenging trip seem more doable.
While they traveled, they met people from all over the world and heard their stories.
“People travel for different reasons,” said JoAnne Rogers. “Some people were trying to find God. Other people were trying to have God find them, help them find their way. Other people did it for the physical challenge. There were a variety of reasons people chose to go.”
She went on to say, “I want to say it was a microcosm of society, but it really wasn’t because everyone was extremely nice to each other, which is something that’s lacking in society right now.”
Their trip was also a time of reflection and peace, eight days of relief from the neverending 24-hour news cycle over which they were able to focus on the people around them and their own thoughts and prayers.
“It is sort of a solitary undertaking, you know, walking all that way,” said JoAnne Rogers.
Dennis Rogers added, “Except when the school kids show up, en masse, and just flew by you!”
JoAnne Rogers continued, “I felt the majority of people were there to find their way. If I could describe one thing I think it gave everybody, it was hope because you kind of looked at humanity and said, ‘You know, there are a lot of good people out there; there are a lot of people who reach out and are willing to help.’”
They also prayed the rosary and often walked in silent contemplation. Dennis Rogers dedicated each day of their trip to prayer for different people in their lives, including the two couples they traveled with, JoAnne Rogers’ 99-year-old mother, and Dennis Rogers’ late brother, who passed away last year. When they attended mass at the end of their journey, he offered up those dedications and prayers.
The end of the Way is the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The cathedral holds a pilgrims’ mass each morning, noon, and night. The noon mass the Rogers attended was extremely crowded, they recalled.
“Everybody just flops down on the cement,” said JoAnne Rogers. She added, “The plaza’s just filled with enthusiasm. You can feel it; the energy in that space is almost palpable.” The cathedral can seat more than 1,200 people, but according to JoAnne Rogers, the aisles were overflowing: “It was packed every time!”
