Connections & Conchas at Mo-Ranch

by Lauren Kerr, La Concha Features Contributor | Spring, TX

Echoes from the Camino – The Gifts We Carry. The Gifts We Share. As a first-time attendee of the annual Gathering of American Pilgrims on the Camino, I was reminded that the greatest gift is the people you encounter along the way.

Opportunities for new connections started early. The Camino spirit was tangible among those arriving a day before the Gathering to explore the San Antonio Mission Trail. Setting out just as the sun rose above the San Antonio River, we visited historic Spanish missions, swapped Camino stories, and discovered new friendships before we even found our Gathering name badges.

This sense of community and connection continued to grow as we made our way to the Mo-Ranch retreat center.

Set amid the gentle beauty of Texas Hill Country at the start of wildflower season, the weekend unfolded with warmth and conversation. It seemed that every corner of the sprawling Mo-Ranch campus became a convening spot for unhurried pilgrim chats—the kind that begin with blister prevention and end with much deeper reflections.  

The agenda was packed with intriguing presenters and topics. In addition to engaging talks on pilgrimage, history, philosophy, and hospitality, breakout sessions invited attendees to write mirco-memoirs from their Camino journeys, support the local food pantry, and hone one’s skills in discerning and enjoying a range of Spanish wines. Music flowed through the Gathering like another form of pilgrimage—from Colin Campbell McCarthy’s joyful guitar and vocal stylings to the Western Flyers’ legendary Texas Swing to the effervescent Merry Band of Pilgrims. And the snacks—oh, the tapas, the conchas, the queso. Pilgrims from all walks embraced Second Breakfast and an afternoon nosh.

Saturday morning at the ranch began with a slow walk to a replica Cruz de Ferro overlooking a mist-filled Guadalupe River valley. Accompanied by the resonant call of John Saxon’s bagpipes, this walking meditation offered time to remember friends who have passed and to reflect on the journeys we continue to carry in our hearts.

As pilgrims, we may set out seeking a personal challenge, moments of insight, or a deeper sense of gratitude and wonder. Whatever the original motivation, a treasure that stays with us— an echo, perhaps—is the people. The fellow travelers one encounters along a dusty path, the stories shared over a simple meal, the unanticipated friendships reminding us that we don’t travel our Camino alone. Those are gifts worth carrying, and sharing, until we meet again.

A huge thanks to the Gathering committee and the many volunteers who helped make a memorable event. 

Echos from the Camino and the Annual Gathering continue. Find a reflection from 2026 Gathering co-chair Martin Peña in the American Pilgrims May 2026 newsletter. There you will also find a preview from 2027 Gathering co-chairs Allison Venuto and Tom Coleman on what’s in work for next year’s Gathering planned for June 1-4 in Estella, Spain. And don’t miss a special retrospective reflection below from Roni Jackson-Kerr, an eight-time Gathering attendee and a coordinator for the American Pilgrims Northeast Oklahoma chapter.

---

Reflections on a Decade of Pilgrim Gatherings

by Roni Jackson-Kerr | Tulsa, OK

This year I attended my eighth American Pilgrims Gathering. With the exception of 2017, I have made my way, at the very least, to every pilgrim Gathering since 2016. Although I did attend the pre-Gathering workshop for chapter coordinators during the now-infamous 2020 experience in Lake Tahoe, I left before the actual Gathering officially commenced, attempting to outrun both an incoming blizzard and what was then a still-mysterious COVID-19.

Since returning home from this year’s Gathering at Mo-Ranch in Hunt, TX, I have found myself reflecting on this past decade of pilgrim Gatherings and what they have meant to me.

Beyond the excellent programming over the years—the history lessons from pioneer pilgrims like Maryjane Dunn and George Greenia; heart-centric talks about the nature of pilgrimage from folks like Kathy Kehe, Annie O’Neill, Elaine Hopkins, Adam Wells, and Blaine Rada; and outstanding entertainment from performances like Celeste Mancinelli’s Crying on the Camino, the toe-tapping music of the Western Flyers of Texas, and our beloved Merry Band of Pilgrims, what really makes me come back year after year is the pilgrims themselves. The beautiful connections, friendships, and conversations that happen when pilgrims have the opportunity to come together to celebrate the thing they love. Well, that, and the opportunity to get a selfie with Flat Rachel. (If you know, you know.)

Every year after the Gathering has ended, we have the ability to offer feedback to the American Pilgrims board, and every year without exception I have stated my single request: more time with my fellow pilgrims. There simply never seems to be enough hours in the day for all the time I want to spend with cherished pilgrim friends old and new. I doubt a month-long Gathering would satisfy that desire.

The opportunity to come together with my fellow pilgrims once a year for the past decade has offered me a broad network of connection with so many wonderful pilgrims who I have come to love. It has broadened my understanding of pilgrimage, the history of this organization, and the Camino itself. More than anything, it has expanded my heart. And for that, I could not be more grateful.

The annual Gathering is open for our members. You can become a member here. And get more info on the Gathering here.