Staff and students from the University of Notre Dame Australia have returned from Spain after participating in the University’s first Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, combining academic learning, spiritual formation and cultural immersion.
Eighteen students began the program in Madrid as part of the University’s CORE3001 Pilgrimage course, undertaking lectures, workshops and cultural activities through Notre Dame’s partnership with Saint Louis University Madrid.
Participants then travelled north to Galicia to experience one of Christianity’s most enduring pilgrimage traditions, completing over 11 days more than 220 kilometres of the historic Camino Francés route from Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela.
Notre Dame’s Chair of Integral Human Development, Fr Eamonn Conway, said the pilgrimage offered participants an opportunity to step away from the pace of daily life and reflect on what matters most.
“Experiences such as the Camino encourage participants to make space for reflection, deepen their sense of gratitude and gain a richer understanding of the Catholic intellectual and faith tradition,” Fr Eamonn said.
“Pilgrimage also offers a deeper appreciation of what a Catholic university seeks to contribute in terms of human flourishing and why institutions such as Notre Dame are committed to both faith and reason.”
Professor Shaun Blanchard said the program provided a unique opportunity for students to engage deeply with Spain’s history, culture and faith traditions.
“Our students, of different ages, backgrounds, academic profiles and religions, dove head-first into the experience and embraced every aspect of the journey,” Professor Blanchard said.
Students described the pilgrimage as a formative experience that fostered faith, friendship, resilience and community.
The group also witnessed the renowned Botafumeiro ceremony at Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, one of the most recognisable traditions associated with the Camino.
Read staff reflections on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage here.
Pilgrimage images can be viewed here.
