On the Camino
A Pilgrimage to Remember, Release, and Reimagine
July 17 – 26, 2025
The Camino, The Portuguese Way
Join Pilgrimage Leaders Jackson Droney, Bryan Berghoef, and Chris Jeffrey as they invite you to remember your intentions, release whatever you feel called to let go, and reimagine the rhythm of your life in light of this experience.
Experience holy listening as you walk with God.
Free Information Session
Join Pilgrimage Leaders Jackson Droney, Bryan Berghoef, and Chris Jeffrey on Zoom for a free Information Session to discern about the rightness of this pilgrimage for you. Choose a date below to register in advance.
For centuries, pilgrims have walked the Way of St. James – the Camino de Santiago – for spiritual deepening, healing, and inspiration. Walking the well-trodden path parallels the inner journey pilgrims make. We invite you to walk with us on the Portuguese Way – Coastal Route, one branch of the Camino. Fellow seekers have made this pilgrimage for many different reasons and at different stages in life.
We will depart each morning, stopping for breakfast and sharing silence until noon. Lunch will be on your own as we walk (plenty of places to do so). We’ll arrive at our lodging for the night by late afternoon. Some days we will hold pilgrim listening circles to consider our themes and intentions. Other days, you’ll have free time to explore the stop on the way and reflect on your own. We’ll share dinner most evenings.
As you walk in the silence, what do you hear and notice? How is God speaking to you on this journey? The practice of pilgrimage is as much about holy listening as it is about walking. Our prayer time and pilgrim circles will allow us time to listen to each other and consider how others have been called to pilgrimage with God. We’ll take an expansive view of walking with God, considering all the ways the Holy moves in our lives.
We will arrive in Santiago on the eve of the Feast of St. James, an ideal opportunity to honor our journeys as we integrate our experiences. As we prepare to return, we know that we’ll keep walking with the Holy, transformed by the inner and outer journey of this time.
PILGRIMAGE ITINERARY
CAMINO PILGRIMAGE ITINERARY: ZOOM GATHERINGS
The pilgrimage leaders will begin holding four monthly orientation meetings (via Zoom) with the pilgrim community. These meetings will be held at 7PM ET on March 9, April 6, May 4, and June 8, 2025. Attendance at these 90-minute orientation meetings is required as they will provide a space to check in on everyone’s physical preparation, offer important logistical information, and support the spiritual development of our pilgrim community. There is also an optional Travel Meeting for registered pilgrims on January 12, 2025.
CAMINO PILGRIMAGE ITINERARY: ONSITE/IN-PERSON
Thursday, July 17 – Oia
We gather at our lodging in Oia, Spain in the late afternoon, beginning with an opening circle of introductions and preparing spiritually for the seven-day walk ahead. (Photo credit: Jackson Droney)
Friday, July 18 – Baiona
We begin our daily rhythm of walking, leaving Oia in silence. Focusing on our theme of “remember,” once in Baiona, we hold pilgrim listening circles. (Photo credit: Jackson Droney)
Saturday July 19 – Vigo
Today is the longest day of walking, and the trail splits into differing routes. One route goes along the coast near the water. (Photo credit: Jackson Droney)
Sunday, July 20 – Redondela
This day’s walk will take us up and down a mountain, and includes the steepest terrain of the pilgrimage. Once in Redondela, emphasizing our theme of “release,” we hold pilgrim listening circles. (Photo credit: Christiana Lundholm)
Monday, July 21 – Pontevedra
Half-way to Santiago, we will have free time in the lively town of Pontevedra and can explore the Pilgrim’s Chapel and Convent of St. Francis.
(Photo credit: Jon Buck)
Tuesday, July 22 – Caldas de Reis
Continuing our daily walking rhythm, we arrive in the sleepy town of Caldas de Reis. We will take time to tend to our bodies after five days of walking with the option of taking a dip in a natural hot spring.
(Photo Credit: Buck Cochran)
Wednesday, July 23 – Padron
On our penultimate day of walking, our journey takes us through Padron, famous for its peppers. Emphasizing our theme of “reimagine” we hold our final time of pilgrim listening circles.
(Photo Credit: Martha Kirkpatrick)
Thursday, July 24 – Santiago
After our final day of walking, we arrive at last in Santiago on the eve of the Feast of St. James. We hold our closing circle to reexamine our intentions and prepare for the next day’s festivities. (Photo credit: Jackson Droney)
Friday, July 25 – Santiago
The last full day of our pilgrimage does not include any programming. Enjoy the Feast Day festivities as you wish and have dinner on your own.
(Photo Credit: Jon Buck)
Saturday, July 26 – Santiago
Pilgrims depart as their schedules require.
(Photo Credit: Buck Cochran)
“For me, the goal of the pilgrimage was not reaching Santiago; the goal was the Camino itself, and the knowledge that we were following in an ancient line of footsteps. The sense of accompanying one another, and being accompanied by all who have gone before, was deeply sustaining, even when the path was at its most difficult.”
-Christiana Lundholm, past pilgrim
PILGRIMAGE LEADERS
BRYAN BERGHOEF
Bryan Berghoef is the pastor at Holland UCC in Holland, Michigan, where he lives with his wife Christy and their four children…
He is a graduate of Shalem’s Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership Program and previously co-led a Shalem pilgrimage to Iona. Bryan is also the author of Pub Theology: Beer, Conversation and God. He is a co-leader of Walking the Ramparts: A Pilgrimage with Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.
JACKSON DRONEY
Jackson Droney is Shalem’s Director of Operations and Online Learning, overseeing Shalem’s finances, HR, online courses, and all the nuts and bolts that make Shalem hum…
He loves discerning with others how organizations can identify and live more deeply into their purpose, and is excited to be part of organization development work at Shalem. Jackson is a graduate of Shalem’s Personal Spiritual Deepening Program, Young Adult Life and Leadership Initiative (known now as Crossing the Threshold), and Soul of Leadership program. Prior to working at Shalem, Jackson spent several years working in federal politics, as a staffer on Capitol Hill and as a lobbyist for not-for-profit electric utilities. He holds a B.A. from Syracuse University and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Georgetown University. At Shalem, Jackson also serves on the faculty of the Crossing the Threshold program and leads Shalem pilgrimages to Spain. He is a student at Luther Seminary and is a candidate for pastoral ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
CHRISTINE JEFFREY
Christine is Director of Administration, as well as the Registrar for Heart Longings: An Invitation to the Contemplative Path, the Camino Pilgrimage, and the Iona Pilgrimage…
She will also be a Pilgrimage Co-Leader for the 2025 Camino Pilgrimage having co-led it in 2023 and 2024. Christine has returned full time to Shalem, and is excited to be back. She has a B.A. in Theology and has worked in parishes in the areas of Liturgy and Adult Faith Formation. She has interest in Celtic Spirituality, loves all things Irish and love spending time with her children and grandchildren.
COST
$2900 per person, double occupancy
Included in the Pilgrimage Fee:
- Nightly lodging
- Breakfast each morning
- Dinner each night (except two nights)
- The cost of transporting baggage to and from each lodging location
NOTE: The price does not include airfare to and from Spain, and it does not include lunch.
Payment Schedule
Due upon application: $500 non-refundable deposit
Due on March 1, 2025: First installment of $1200
Due on April 1, 2025: Second installment of $1200
Cancellation Policy
If you must cancel your reservation, refunds will be made as follows: cancellations received on or before April 4, 2025: 100% of monies received minus $500 non-refundable deposit; cancellations received between April 5 and May 18, 2025: 50% of monies received minus $500 non-refundable deposit; no refunds will be made for cancellations received after May 18, 2025. Shalem reserves the right to cancel the pilgrimage for any reason, in which case you will receive a full refund of all monies paid.
APPLY NOW
Pilgrimage Dates: July 17 – 26, 2025
Application Deadline: February 1, 2025
At-Home Zoom Meetings (required): 7PM ET on March 9, April 6, May 4, and June 8, 2025.
Optional Travel Meeting for Registered Pilgrims: January 12, 2025
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Christine (Chris) Jeffrey is the Registrar for the Camino Pilgrimage and can be contacted at chris@shalem.org.