The Gathering, 2023

Three years ago, Francine and I took our Hospitalero training at the annual Gathering of American Pilgrims on the Camino in South Lake Tahoe. It was quite the adventure, what with a blizzard, driving down a mountain in the snow, and finally the beginning of the Plague. When we got back home, we both had COVID, and it laid us out for a solid week. Famously, my sense of taste was short-circuited for about nine months afterwards.

This past week, we again again attended the annual Gathering, returning to South Lake Tahoe. It was an amazing experience, full of beautiful moments. It was great to reunite with some of our dear pilgrim friends and to meet some new ones. The programming was, as always, excellent.

Fortunately, though there was snow on the ground, it was cool and clear the entire time we were there, with not a hint of precipitation.

In particular, three moments stood out to me during the Gathering.

The first was the annual walk to Cruz de Ferro. The original Cruz de Ferro is located in Spain, marking what is supposed to be the highest altitude on the Camino Francés in Spain. The tradition is that Pilgrims bring a stone from their home and lay it at the foot of the Cross. For some, the stone represents a habit or sin to be discarded. For some, a memory or worry or fear to let go of.

Those attending the Gathering bring stones to our own version of the Cross, forged by a blacksmith Pilgrim. Each year, the Cross is auctioned off to help raise money for the American Pilgrims grants program, and then the smith makes another for the next year. Each of us laid a stone at the foot of the Cross, and then we sang the pilgrim song Ultreïa. And while we were singing, a Bald Eagle flew over the Cross, low and slow. It was a magical moment, and I wish I’d had the presence of mind to photograph it.

But I will come back to the Cruz de Ferro stones in a later post.

The second moment was during a writing exercise at a panel on “Writing your Camino Memoir”. At that moment, my long-dormant idea for a Camino novel got a shot in the arm.

And finally, two Pilgrim priests and a Pilgrim deacon celebrated the Vigil Mass for Divine Mercy Sunday outdoors at our Cruz de Ferro. Simple, but glorious.

There were many other memorable moments, of course, but these three stand out for me. And the entire conference absolutely energized me for the Autumn.