Carol Guttery 
Under a drenching rain, a woman walks upon the scene of a man who has fallen on the Camino. He is surrounded by a group of pilgrims who have come to his aid. Others having attended to his physical needs, one pilgrim does what’s left to do: sit silently and hold his hand. As she stands in her wet boots, the woman takes in this extraordinary scene, this landscape of kindness.
Through the daily journal accounts of her journey, a woman comes to understand that the Camino provides not only for our physical needs, but offers emotional, psychological, and spiritual benevolence, too.
Nearing Santiago and her euros now exhausted, a woman anticipates her first coffee of the day, only to discover the establishment doesn’t take credit cards. Two pilgrims she’d met earlier that morning come to her rescue and spot her some change, filling her cup with coffee and kindness.
At the summit of an especially grueling climb that tested her fortitude, a pilgrim is greeted by an Anatolian shepherd that reminds her of a late, beloved family pet. His giant but gentle presence uplifts her with the comfort and encouragement she needs to carry on.
The Autumn 2025 issue of La Concha, a magazine published by American Pilgrims on the Camino with news, pilgrim stories, poetry, and more on the theme of “Connection & Reflection.”
Autumn 2025 letter from American Pilgrims on the Camino Board Chair Joe Curro plus a summary of the July 2025 meeting of the American Pilgrims Board of Directors.
When a man passes a small church in a mountain village, a woman beckons him to see inside. His experience leaves him feeling more connected to God, himself, and everything.
A review of The Traveler’s Path by Douglas J. Brouwer, which explores a question common among pilgrims: “Why are you doing this?” Brouwer extends that question beyond pilgrimage, and applies it to the whole scope of human movement.
When her marriage unravels, Katherine January steps out on Camino, tucking into her backpack a small bundle of nylon cord her ex-husband kept stashed around the house. As she walks, she considers the ways she might use that string to solve problems on Camino, just as she, no longer tethered, must now improvise a new life.
A pilgrim reflects on how the Camino led him to seek foreign experiences as a traveler rather than as a tourist for more enriching encounters.