Providence Student-Athletes Complete 160-Mile Pilgrimage

Eleven student-athletes from Providence College finished the 160-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain in May 2026. The group, drawn from four Division I teams, completed the ancient route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The journey was guided by Rev. Dominic Verner, O.P., the university's athletics chaplain.

The participants included members of the women's ice hockey, swimming and diving, tennis, and track and cross country programs. Alongside the athletes, the group included two mentors: Erich Miller, a 2020 graduate, and John Barry, a parent of a current student. The trek covered the traditional path to the shrine that houses the remains of the apostle St. James.

The group's experience was defined by physical exertion and spiritual reflection. Isabella Marcos, a swimmer and diving major on a pre-med track, described the final approach to the city as a moment of profound quiet. She noted that the silence at the cathedral's base differed from the loud, physical demands of the preceding days. "I had been walking toward a different version of myself," Marcos said.

Marcos, who is from Pittsburgh and minoring in Spanish, walked the route partly to understand a journey her father had taken in 2013. Her father, a native of Asturias, had completed the El Camino Primitivo route. Before the 2026 trip, he shared over 200 photographs and personal stories from his own pilgrimage. This preparation created a sense of connection to the trail before the group set foot in Spain.

A key emotional milestone occurred at La Cruz de Ferro, the highest point on the Camino Francés. The iron cross sits at an elevation of 1,500 meters and is surrounded by stones left by pilgrims. The group reached this location after their first 20-mile day. They paused to leave stones, a ritual symbolizing the letting go of burdens. Marcos observed a shift in the group's energy during this stop, noting that the vulnerability of the moment created a safe space for emotional expression.

The physical toll of the hike remained a constant presence. After the rest at the cross, the group still had 15 miles to cover. Marcos walked alongside Verner for much of the second half of that day. Their conversation covered family, faith, and academic uncertainty. The physical pain in her legs and shoulders eventually faded into the background, allowing for a clearer mental state.

The group's dynamic shifted from individual effort to collective support as the miles added up. On Marcos' birthday, which fell near the halfway point of the journey, swimmer Elizabeth Glasspool carried her bag for the day. The group arrived in Villafranca del Bierzo for dinner, where Verner had arranged a cake. The celebration highlighted the bonds formed in less than two weeks of travel.

The final 13 miles were walked together as a single unit. The group reached a decorated sign for Santiago de Compostela with three miles remaining. Pilgrims often leave shoes at this marker, a tradition followed by Marcos, Luci West, and Polly Bogdan. The last mile brought the group into the center of the city, where souvenir shops and bagpipe music filled the streets.

Upon reaching the cathedral, the group experienced a collective sense of arrival. The noise of the city, including conversations in multiple languages, faded into a shared silence. Marcos sat on the ground, her bag beside her, as the physical activity ceased. The pilgrimage ended not with a finish line, but with a moment of stillness that marked the end of the 160-mile trek.