Plans are coming together for the inaugural pilgrim season to begin. An unexpected yet significant development is that off all of the potential pilgrims who expressed interest, everyone desires to be part of the first group of pilgrims, traveling from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Denver. For this reason, there was no sense in holding open the temporary pilgrim houses even for a week as was initially planned, but just for the first night to accommodate the group traveling together.
A second development came and went - the Waldo Canyon Wildfire - is now fully contained. The forest road that the camino follows between Monument and Woodland Park had been blocked off by the firefighters but should be open for us to pass.
Pilgrims have an opportunity to gather and meet during the three-day Kermes Bazaar on the 13th, 14th and 15th of July. It's the annual church bazaar at Our Lady of Guadalupe, and because it's a church with a specific mission toward latino, particularly Mexican, immigrants, there's definitely a south-of-the-border theme. Music, dancing, and diverse regional cuisines are being offered along with kids' games and prizes... general bazaar fare. There will be a pilgrim booth near the cantina with information available about foot pilgrimages in general and the Camino del Norte a Chimayo in particular with show-and-tell ... what's in the backpack? come and find out.
Those who cannot participate in the pilgrimage this year are welcome to come to the church to see the group off following 8 am Mass on July 22nd. There will be a sizable crowd. (map)
Any last-minute pilgrims out there who are still undecided about joining the group from the beginning or from some stop along the way, please contact us soon for more information.
A route to America's popular pilgrim destination.
Camino del Norte to Chimayó
An effort was made in the summer of 2012 to create a pilgrim route to the Santuario de Chimayó in northern New Mexico beginning in Denver, Colorado. Chimayó is a popular pilgrim destination in the US with tens of thousands of pilgrims making the pilgrimage by foot every year, particularly during Holy Week. For information about this destination, follow the links in the side panel.
A series of three existing routes were used to lead pilgrims between Denver and Chimayó: first, a miner’s route connecting Denver with the silver mining area of Cripple Creek; second, the Ute Indian migration path between the Front Range and the San Luis Valley that was also used by Zebulon Pike during his early exploration of the region following the Louisiana Purchase; finally, the upper reaches of the Rio Grande river used by the Franciscan Missionaries during the time of the Spanish Colonials. Most of the route is made up of graded forest roads, with the remainder on paved country roads. The route would be suitable for foot, off-road wheelchair and mountain bike.
A series of three existing routes were used to lead pilgrims between Denver and Chimayó: first, a miner’s route connecting Denver with the silver mining area of Cripple Creek; second, the Ute Indian migration path between the Front Range and the San Luis Valley that was also used by Zebulon Pike during his early exploration of the region following the Louisiana Purchase; finally, the upper reaches of the Rio Grande river used by the Franciscan Missionaries during the time of the Spanish Colonials. Most of the route is made up of graded forest roads, with the remainder on paved country roads. The route would be suitable for foot, off-road wheelchair and mountain bike.
Unlike the caminos in Spain, no network of pilgrim houses exists appropriately spaced to facilitate the pilgrimage. The feasibility of a pilgrim house system in Colorado and northern New Mexico was tested in the pioneer effort. The route originates in Denver, crosses the mountains between Monument and Woodland Park, again at Cripple Creek to Canon City, and into the San Luis Valley at Pass Creek Pass. Although the route passes through some villages and towns, shade and water stations were set up to support pilgrims with refreshments.
The pioneer pilgrims who made the pilgrimage along this Camino del Norte a Chimayo varied widely in background and level of experience. The success of the journey was overwhelming. It was a challenge for most, far beyond any effort they had previously attempted. There was general consensus that the most difficult part was that the distances were beyond the comfort level of most. The spacing of towns cannot be changed, so it is what it is. Perhaps in the future, interim stations would be established to make the stages a bit shorter though it would extend the number of days of the pilgrimage.
Advice to others interested in making the pilgrimage reasonably includes being well prepared both physically - to be able to walk 20 miles without getting blisters - and mentally - to be able to spend hours on end alone and unattached to electronic devices. The scenery, history and culture that the camino passes through is remarkable. The camino is real.
Anyone interested in making this pilgrimage is encouraged to contact the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at 303 477 1402 or the Santuario de Chimayo at 505 351 9961. Alternatively, an email inquiry can be sent through the link above.
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We'll be there for the sendoff!
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