Over a thousand around the world join Tasmanian pilgrimage

By Catherine Sheehan

The Jubilee Year got off to a big start in Tasmania with 160 pilgrims joining the local Way to St James Cygnet Pilgrimage on 11 and 12 January through the stunning Huon Valley, and more than 1,000 pilgrims from 30 countries taking part in the associated Global Way to St James Pilgrimage on the same weekend.

Founder of the pilgrimage, Fr Michael Tate AO, said he believed the popular annual event would continue to grow in the future.

“This is no longer a local pilgrimage, though it is earthed in the Huon Valley,” he said. “It clearly now resonates on the mainland and around the world. I’m sure it will become a great global pilgrimage.”

In its tenth year, the local pilgrimage is a 30km trek through the picturesque countryside of southern Tasmania, beginning at the Mountain River Community Hall and finishing at the Spanish-style St James’ Church in Cygnet.

The pilgrimage is inspired by and modelled on the famous Camino de Santiago in Spain, with participants wearing scallop shells around their necks and carrying passports which they get stamped along the way. At the conclusion of the pilgrimage, a large icon of St James is processed into the church at Cygnet, and participants place stones in front of it, to symbolise a ‘letting go’ of their burdens.

Member of the organising committee, Leanne Prichard, has walked every Way to St James Cygnet Pilgrimage since it first began in 2016.

“Walking the Way to St James Cygnet Pilgrimage has been an enriching part of my January each year since I first walked it as a pilgrim in 2016,” she said.
“This year it was the perfect way for participants to start this Holy Year of Jubilee as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.”

While extreme weather conditions tested their endurance, with heat on day one and heavy rain on day two, the pilgrims were undeterred, Leanne said.

“Day one was a challenging 18km walk through the Huon Valley as the sun was beating down and temperatures rose close to 30 degrees. But our pilgrims rose to the challenge and supported each other along the way.

“With the help of our volunteers marshals, support vehicles and an ambulance on hand, pilgrims were well cared for and arrived safely at St Mary’s Church at Ranelagh for an afternoon of relaxation, connection, delicious food and wonderful entertainment.

“On day two around lunchtime the heavens opened, but the rain didn’t dampen the spirits of our pilgrims as they conquered Silver Hill and walked joyfully into the Cygnet Folk Festival.”
Pilgrim Matt Brown said the experience was about “more than just the walk”.

“The walk’s part of it, and that’s a focusing point, but it’s a bit more of an orientation to taking a break from your busy life and turning it towards God,” he said.

Fellow pilgrim Clare Pike said it was important to spend some of the journey in prayerful silence.

“If you can manage to be silent as you’re walking, I think that it can be a really powerful, profound experience, and it was for me,” she said.

Fr Tate said an important part of the pilgrimage experience was the companionship found along the way which provides an antidote against “loneliness epidemic” of the modern world.
“We’re all companions on this pilgrimage together,” he said. “We share the ‘bread’ of the journey around the world.”

“Pilgrimage takes you out of the ordinary run of life and sets your heart alight to a different rhythm,” he added. “We ask participants to walk in a meditative way, to allow the beauty of nature to contour the soul.”

Global companions on the journey

The Global Way to St James Pilgrimage is in its fifth year and was founded during the Covid-19 pandemic as a response to the cancellation of the local pilgrimage. Since then, it has grown in popularity each year.

Participants in the global pilgrimage are asked to walk the same distance as the local event and are encouraged to send photos to the Way to St James Cygnet Facebook page.
Joseph Handman joined this year’s pilgrimage in Florida, US.

“We had nine pilgrims show up for our walk yesterday in Panama City Beach, Florida,” he said.

“The weather was in the upper 30’s Fahrenheit. We did a silent walking meditation for the first part of our five-mile hike, and then of course we opened it for conversation. We were mindful of joining with you all in solidarity.”

“Thank you to the coordinators of this event and for all who are walking for peace on January eleventh and twelfth.”

Christine Birkett also took part in Murcia, Spain.

“I just want to say thanks for letting us be a part of your Global Camino,” she said.

“It was lovely seeing all your photos and videos. We completed 19km on the first very windy day in the hills and 18.5km on a flat camino road/beach walk.
“Thanks again and we look forward to next year.”

Leanne Prichard said she was “amazed and inspired” by the hundreds of pilgrims who take part in the global event, walking “in peace and solidarity” with the Tasmanian pilgrims.

“Whether they are hiking in snow in sub-zero temperatures in the northern hemisphere or sweating it out in the heat in QLD, WA or South Africa, these pilgrims embody the essence of the Camino- connection, fellowship and encouragement, as they share the Camino spirit across the world via our online Way to St James Cygnet Facebook Event, many returning each year to walk with others wherever they live in the world.”