Serving Pilgrims in Astorga
Serving Pilgrims at Albergue de Peregrinos Siervas de María in Astorga
by Stephanie Wells | Arvada, CO
In September 2019, I attended the American Pilgrims hospitalero training in Colorado Springs, CO, in hope of serving the following year as an hospitalera, and then walking more of the Camino. I walked the Camino Francés from St. Jean Pied de Port to Burgos in 2016 and the Camino del Norte from Santander to Gijón in 2018, and I wanted to give back. After several cancellations due to COVID-19, I was finally scheduled to serve at Albergue de Peregrinos Siervas de María in Astorga, Spain, from August 15-29, 2024.
I chose this location after I had stopped there for two nights due to a foot injury while walking from León to Santiago de Compostela in September 2023. Inside the albergue, a poster asking for hospitaleros caught my attention. I liked the managers—Alfredo and Pilar—and the hospitaleros. During that stay, I also became good friends with Kathryn, an hospitalera from Denver. She and I coordinated to serve there together in 2024.
This albergue can accommodate 150 pilgrims, but in August 2024 we averaged 50 per night. I was told it’s busier in May and September. In the two-week period I served there, we hosted pilgrims from nearly 40 countries. My favorites included a Korean family of mama, papa, daughter, and son-in-law; a group of 30 Italians; an 89-year-old German woman; an Italian man who had walked from northern Italy; and an American couple spending a year abroad with their two young children.
The albergue is set up well for hospitaleros. We had our own rooms, a dedicated bathroom, a full kitchen, and our own washing machine. Alfredo gave each hospitalero a personal food allowance of 10€ per day, though many donated it back to the albergue. We gathered for conversation in the hospitalero kitchen. Alfredo and Pilar spoke limited English, and the other hospitaleros spoke limited Spanish, so my mediocre Spanish came in very handy and improved with each day.
We ate breakfast each morning at 7:30 a.m., and then cleaned from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. The albergue opened for “fresh” pilgrims at 11 a.m. and stayed open until 10:30 p.m. We processed pilgrims in two-person shifts from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. One hospitalero took IDs, stamped credentials, and collected money, while the other explained rules and amenities and showed pilgrims to their rooms.
Shifts after 5 p.m. were covered by regular staff, meaning that volunteers only worked a few hours a day. The rest of the time we spent however we liked. I worked on my computer and took long walks to keep in shape for my upcoming Camino from Porto to Santiago. I also got my “dog fix” with Rocco, a 12-year-old golden lab that I walked every morning.
Overall, my experience serving at Albergue de Peregrinos Siervas de María in Astorga was enjoyable and relaxing. I didn’t feel lonely, tired, anxious, or overworked. The only thing to watch out for was forgetting what day it was—I almost forgot my son’s birthday!
If you are interested in becoming an Hospitalero, please visit our Hospitalero training page for more info, an FAQ, and our upcoming training sessions.
