Pilgrimage to the End of the World: Info Session

Walking the Camino de Santiago with Revs. Lauren Smith and Rob Hardies

Informational Meeting - Monday, June 12, 7pm, Online

For zoom link contact Lillian Anderson (landerson@uubelmont.org)

Join local Unitarian Universalists for a pilgrimage along a special stretch of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Finesterre is a headland on the northwest Spanish coast that the ancients believed was the end of the known world. The name derives from the Latin finis terrae, or “end of the earth.” Finisterre predates nearby Santiago de Compostela as a Celtic sacred site and pilgrimage destination. Throughout history people have walked to Finesterre to give thanks for the Earth and to contemplate the mysteries that lie beyond the shores of our knowledge.

Walking pilgrimage is a spiritual practice that connects us to our Spirit, to one another, and to the Earth. As we walk across beautiful terrain, we will also explore the inner landscape of our hearts and souls with the help of daily readings, questions, spiritual practices, and group reflection every evening before dinner.

Revs. Lauren Smith and Rob Hardies will be our spiritual guides on this eight-day, seventy-three-mile journey from Santiago de Compostela to Finesterre and then up the Spanish coast to Muxia.

If you think you might be interested in joining us on this pilgrimage (no commitment yet!), please let us know by contacting our registrar Lillian Anderson at landerson@uubelmont.org, and then plan on joining Revs. Smith and Hardies for a Zoom information session on Monday June 12 at 7 pm. We do anticipate that we will need commitments and an initial deposit by early July.  We hope you’ll join us!

Important Details

Dates May 26 - June 3, 2024

Cost Approximately $2100 per person, based on double occupancy.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive and gather in Santiago de Compostela, overnight in Santiago

Day 2 - Santiago to Negreira 20.6 km/12.8 miles, overnight in Negreira

Day 3 - Negreira to Cornado 14.6 km/9.07 miles, overnight in Negreira

Day 4 - Cornado to Olveiroa 18km/11 miles, overnight in Olveiroa

Day 5 - Olveiroa to Cee 20 km/12 miles, overnight in Cee

Day 6 - Cee to Finesterre (Fisterra) 15km/ 9.3 miles, overnight in Finesterre

Day 7 - Finesterre to A Lires 14 km/8.7 miles, overnight in Finesterre

Day 8 - A Lires to Muxia  17 km/ 10.5 miles, overnight in Muxia

Day 9 - Transfer back to Santiago, Pilgrims Mass and overnight in Santiago

Our Guides

Rev. Lauren Smith is Director of Stewardship and Development for the Unitarian Universalist Association, and a member of the First Church in Belmont community.

Rev. Rob Hardies is Lead Minister of First Parish in Cambridge and an experienced leader of pilgrimages along the Camino de Santiago and to other destinations.

This program is offered as part of the CommUUnity Collaborative.