Lay Your Burdens at the Camino de California Cruz de Ferro
Lay Your Burdens at the Camino de California Cruz de Ferro
by Andy Allen | San Luis Obispo, CA
As many Camino pilgrims know, the Cruz de Ferro is an iconic, spiritual landmark found roughly midway along the French route to Santiago de Compostela. Tradition has Camino pilgrims carry stones from their homes to symbolize the burdens they carry through life, as well as the prayer intentions they might carry in their hearts. Upon arrival at the Cruz de Ferro, they lay their stones at the foot of the cross as an act of leaving behind their burdens and prayer intentions. Many pilgrims reflect on this as one of the most significant and meaningful moments of their pilgrimage experience.
The Camino Real in California now has its own Cruz de Ferro, dedicated at the historic Mission San Miguel Arcángel, which is also roughly midway along its route. The California Cruz de Ferro was a project of the nonprofit Camino de California, whose mission is to promote spiritual pilgrimage along California’s Mission Trail.
The cross was formally dedicated on June 12, 2025. The dedication event included a blessing of the cross, a procession, and the opportunity for pilgrims to drop some of the first stones at the foot of the Cruz de Ferro (complete with accompaniment by a local bagpiper)!
Pilgrim blacksmith Tom Coleman forged the cross. Tom is an American Pilgrims board member. Fellow pilgrims Andy and Debbie Allen played a small role by gathering dimensional information on the Camino so that Tom’s work could lead to a more precise replica of the actual cross in Spain.
American Pilgrims board chair Joe Curro offered his congratulations, writing:
“I want to congratulate Camino de California and its partner organizations on the dedication of this replica Cruz de Ferro on the Camino Real. The original Cruz plays a special role in the spiritual journey of pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. This reproduction—forged with the love of a pure pilgrim heart—is certain to provide opportunities for reflection and unburdening to many generations of walkers traversing this re-established route. The pilgrim community is alive and well in California, with the Cruz de Ferro serving as an important beacon of hope and a bridge to the area’s rich Spanish religious and historical heritage.”
Next time you visit the Central Coast of California, head to California’s Mission Trail and be sure to bring your stone.
