AMERICAN PILGRIMS ON THE CAMINO

The mission of American Pilgrims on the Camino is: to foster the enduring tradition of the Camino by supporting its infrastructure, by gathering pilgrims together, and by providing information and encouragement to past and future pilgrims.

The Camino de Santiago is an ancient pilgrimage route across Europe, culminating at the Cathedral of St. James the Apostle in the northwestern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, where it is believed the bones of the martyred apostle are buried. First traveled by pilgrims in the Middle Ages, the Camino was little used from the time of the Reformation until about 30 years ago, when the old route was revived, and pilgrims began to walk again. A record number of pilgrims (347578) completed the Camino in 2019, including a record number of Americans (20652) or 5.94% of the total). Among modern pilgrims, some make the journey for religious or spiritual reasons, others to experience Camino history and culture, and yet others simply like the physical challenge of a long walk. Slowing your pace to that of foot travelers of centuries past servehe mission of American Pilgrims on the Camino is: to foster the enduring tradition of the Camino by supporting its infrastructure, by gathering pilgrims together, and by providing information and encouragement to past and future pilgrims.

American Pilgrims on the Camino (American Pilgrims) programs serve the community of pilgrims, which includes people who travel the Camino, those who aspire to travel the Camino, and those who help them along the way. Our intent is to foster a community that informs and supports past, current, and future pilgrims and that creates ambassadors and stewards for the route. It is our intent that by supplying opportunities for pilgrims to come together – whether in the spirit of learning about the Camino, volunteering, or visiting one of our hosted forums – American Pilgrims will be associated with quality information and service to the Camino. We are the primary U.S. organization from which prospective pilgrims gather information for their pilgrimage.

American Pilgrims supports several avenues to facilitate communication between those who have completed the pilgrimage and those who wish to. Each spring we hold a large Gathering where attendees come to share and learn about different aspects of the Camino and Camino life, including historical information, practical route information, and training advice. American Pilgrims supports official regional chapters in communities across the United States, where pilgrims exchange information and train together. As of January, 2020, there are 54 active local chapters across the United States.

The association's quarterly newsletter, La Concha, includes organizational updates and features articles, photographs, and other information submitted by members. Member submissions are a way returning pilgrims process their experiences and engage other pilgrims. The American Pilgrims-sponsored Facebook group provides information to the wider community of people interested in the Camino and is an active platform for discussions related to the route, such as local economy, history, language, food, current events, etc. As of January 2020, the group has more than 21,900 members. We also have a Facebook group for cyclists, which provides a platform for discussions relating to those who chose to travel the Camino by bicycle.

The Camino Credential, the document all pilgrims must carry to identify themselves as pilgrims, is issued to pilgrims by American Pilgrims free of charge – the only organization worldwide not to charge a fee for this document. In 2019, we provided about 7,500 credentials.

American Pilgrims pursues relationships with international organizations that promote and preserve the Camino. Joining with Camino support organizations from other countries American Pilgrims support the people who walk or cycle the Camino and the infrastructure of the Camino itself. Providing grant funding to local organizations, primarily albergues (pilgrim hostels) supports the infrastructure and helps build greater Camino community, which increases our impact and benefit to the Camino.

American Pilgrims actively supports programs and opportunities for members to participate in, whether at home or on the Camino. These include the chapters and volunteer opportunities at the Pilgrims Office in Santiago, as well as other opportunities to volunteer along the Camino, such as the Ribadiso albergue program, as well as training for people to serve as hospitaleros (hosts) at the albergues. Many members come back from their experience looking for ways to give something back to an ideal, a place, and an adventure that has affected them significantly.

American Pilgrims has been in existence since 2003. Our greatest asset is our members, including both a core of dedicated members who have been with the organization from the beginning and many new, enthusiastic members who have joined us in recent years. A Board of Directors gives hands-on direction to the organization; ours is a working Board in addition to one that sets policy. In the past two years our membership has more than doubled, including international members. Participation in our Facebook group has increased almost tenfold. Our local chapters connect with local pilgrim through meet-up groups, hosted talks, hikes, and other events that members and non-members may attend.

American Pilgrims' connections to and support of other organizations has contributed greatly to our mission of providing information and encouragement. Both a Camino documentary film and a university pilgrimage studies program received grant awards from American Pilgrims and have been strong and vocal supporters of our mission and our organization. Increased membership and donations to the organization have enabled us to award more infrastructure grants to worthy projects. These projects are tangible evidence of the difference American Pilgrims makes to the Camino, local economies, and facilities along the way, and member feedback about these projects has been positive.

Through American Pilgrims, Americans have more presence on the Camino, and in 2018 ranked among the top six nationalities of those completing the Camino, including Spaniards. The increasing number of Americans walking the Camino demonstrates that the experience of the Camino is important, and American Pilgrims has actively sought local partnerships in Spain and cultivated meaningful relationships with secular and non-secular groups to increase American participation.

Our organization has sought out and developed a range of volunteer opportunities for members. A well-established and highly developed training course prepares those wishing to serve as hospitaleros at local albergues along Camino routes. This training allows American seeking these opportunities to know what to expect and how to comport themselves in these positions. American pilgrims trainees are often praised for their abilities as hospitaleros.

Our board works with organizations in other countries to identify and support projects that are beneficial to the Camino and that may provide volunteer opportunities for our members.

The growth in popularity of the Camino is changing the environment for American Pilgrims on the Camino. In 2019, American Pilgrims is reviewing its programs to assure continued progress and to identify additional avenues for member involvement and membership growth. We will also review Board policies and procedures to assure progress in effectiveness and transparency.

Program review will include the Annual Gathering, the Chapters, Grants, Communications, and Training programs. It will also include a review of our well established relationships with international Camino support organizations like ours, which has been part of a long-term strategy to find joint projects and programs and to increase our knowledge of Camino routes that our members might travel.