1941 Webberville Rd., Austin, Texas 78721
(512) 926-6339
office@StJamesAustin.org

Hybrid Camino de St J’

St James’ Youth Ministry and St Julian of Norwich Student Ministry’s

Hybrid Camino de St J’

Coming Home: Why are we doing this?

It’s been a long season. It’s now time to find our way. As we each navigate the second summer of a pandemic, vaccines, and a new beginning, we wanted a way to be close together in various ways:

  • in-person,
  • online,
  • and in spirit.

Last summer, the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado held a Hybrid Camino de Santiago in their state when their pilgrimage to Spain was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Taking inspiration from Colorado’s pilgrimage, we designed a journey home to our beloved Austin parishes.

What is a Pilgrimage?

A pilgrimage is a journey a person undertakes in search of new or expanded meaning about themselves, others, nature, or God. The experience brings the meaning. A pilgrimage can take you to an unknown or unfamiliar place, or it can deepen your relationship with a place you thought you knew. It can lead to a personal and spiritual transformation that lasts after the pilgrim returns to their daily life. Your journey may change you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

There are lots of famous pilgrimages– they can be religious, related to civil rights, or history-based. One of the most well-known is the Camino de Santiago (The Way of St James).

How the Camino de St J’ works

We start together, virtually on Zoom at 7pm on July 1, and we get together on Zoom at 7 pm on August 6 when it’s done.

Traditionally, the pilgrimage must be due to both religious and spiritual reasons, or at least in the pursuit of finding any of them, and to earn a “Compostela,” which is a certificate that shows you walked, rode horseback or biked the Camino de Santiago, you have to walk or ride a horse the last 100 kilometers/62 miles.  For bikers, it’s the last 200 km.

For our Camino de St J’, we wanted to offer more flexible ways to participate. To complete the Camino de St J’, you only need to earn 100 points. You can earn points in a variety of ways.

You’ll keep track of your points in your Credential (Passport), noting where and what you did to earn each point during your journey or task. You’ll say “Buen Camino” to other pilgrims and friends you meet along the way. And the Compostela you’ll earn at the end of your Camino is a t-shirt! 

How to earn points: 

Your goal is to earn 100 points by August 1st. Create a goal, then make a basic plan for how you will reach your goal. You can earn:

    • 1 point for every kilometer you travel walking during the month of July
    • ½ half point for every kilometer you use an alternative mode of transportation, like biking, canoeing, or skateboarding
    • 1 point for every geocache you find and log
    • 1 point per every 20 minutes you spend doing off road pilgrimage activities (i.e. not walking), for examples, attending youth group events, attending worship, learning, reading, praying, Bible study, volunteering, etc., or hand washing your clothes! You can also meet with a youth minister, youth sponsor, clergy, vestry member from church. 
    • Earn 1 point for every nap you take, no matter how long your nap is (you can earn up to a total of 5 points out of the 100 for napping during the Camino de St J’ — that’s 5 naps!)
    • Mix and match any of the above ways to earn points. There is no wrong way to do the Camino. This is YOUR pilgrimage

➨BONUS POINTS: St James’ youth will earn 5 bonus points when they visit St Julian’s on 7/18. St Julian’s youth will earn 5 bonus points when they visit St James’ on 7/25.

You can also earn points attending (along with other friends from St James’ and Austin Area EYC) the Episcopal Diocese of Texas’ Encuentro Juvenil Costa Rica y Texas (Youth Encounter) Weekend July 9, 10, and 11 on Zoom.

Questions? Contact Simone Monique Barnes, Director of Youth Ministry, familyministry@stjamesaustin.org