I do not believe you can train for a walk, you can prep though. I have been walking/hiking several times a week for approx. 8-12 miles at a time. I have been loading down my pack with about 16 lbs. I will be upping the weight in the coming months. I am trying to get my feet and knees ready for the long distances and days.
I know this isn't alot to most of you, but 18-20 lbs. is the max weight everyone suggests to carry for about a 20 miles a day pilgrimage.
I am going to be using the North Face Terra 45 pack.
I'm working on my route to take, as in trying to plan my stops, but as others have said, all plans are subject to change. i.e. weather, sight-seeing, blisters.
I have the Brierley Guide Book, and will be using it for distances and albergue's. (specific hotels for pilgrim's)
Shell of Saint James:
The scallop shell is the traditional emblem of James, son of Zebedee, and is
popular with pilgrims on the Way of St James to the apostle's shrine at
Santiago de Compostela in Galicia
(Spain).
Medieval Christians making the pilgrimage to his shrine often wore a scallop
shell symbol on their hat or clothes.
The pilgrim also carried a scallop shell
with him, and would present himself at churches, castles, abbeys etc., where he
could expect to be given as much sustenance as he could pick up with one scoop.
Probably he would be given oats, barley, and perhaps beer or wine. Thus even
the poorest household could give charity without being overburdened.
Get a Plenary Indulgence for Making a Pilgrimage During the Year of Faith
There has never been a better time to make a pilgrimage! During the Year of Faith, October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013, a plenary indulgence is available to the faithful for making a pilgrimage. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website a plenary indulgence will be granted under the normal circumstances when:
“Each time they visit, in the course of a pilgrimage, a papal basilica, a Christian catacomb, a cathedral church or a holy site designated by the local ordinary for the Year of Faith and there participate in a sacred celebration, or at least remain for a congruous period of time in prayer and pious meditation, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, depending on the circumstances, to the Holy Apostles and patron saints.”
Plenary Indulgence-
This is how an indulgence is defined in the Code of Canon Law (can. 992) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1471):
"To acquire a plenary indulgence, it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfill the following three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent."
El Camino de Santiago:
(The Way of St. James) is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de
Compostela in Galicia in
northwestern Spain,
where the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried.
This route, (The Camino Portugués) which
heads north following the Atlantic coast of Portugal
and Spain, was used by Queen
Isabel of Portugal
(1271 - 1336) to make a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Queen
Isabel was canonized in 1626 and this is celebrated on her feast day, the 8th
of July.
Porto is an approximate 244km (150 mile)
walk to Santiago.
It can be done comfortably in 10 days walking.
A pilgrimage is a personal journey where the primary reason for making it is to ultimately feel closer to God (even if we don’t know it at the time). There are many amazing pilgrimage sites in the United States and throughout the world. Places where you can see relics, beautiful works of art, the incorrupt bodies of saints, the places of miracles and apparitions of the saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Places of immense beauty and wonder. They are worth the trip and the journey can be immensely transformative.
Remember, the will of God will never take you to a place where the grace of God will not protect you.
