Every year since 1998, American Pilgrims on the Camino or its predecessor organizations has hosted an annual Gathering of Pilgrims. These events are opportunities to enjoy the company of old friends, to meet new ones and to relive the experience of the Camino.

The 2011 Gathering of Pilgrims

Save the date!

Santa Barbara Mission
Santa Barbara, California
Hospitalero Training, the Annual Gathering of Pilgrims and Spiritual Retreat
March 21 - 29, 2011

If you have a question about Gatherings please contact the Gatherings coordinator.

If you attended the 2010 Gathering in Winter Park, Florida be checking back here for a reminiscence.

For its 13th Annual Gathering of Pilgrims, American Pilgrims on the Camino convened in at the San Pedro Retreat Center in Winter Park, Florida, March 18 through 23, 2010. The talks all centered on the Gathering's theme, "The Camino Today". As always there were sessions devoted to the practical side of pilgrimage - pilgrimage viewed as a long walk - sessions on Camino first aid and general Q&A. The keynote address, "Roads Less Traveled: The Way of Saint James in France and its World Heritage" was delivered by Lisa Signori. Among other presentations were a mouthwatering presentation on Spanish cuisine, cycling the Camino, a guided tour of the American Pilgrims' website, pictures and practical issues of four of the "lesser" Caminos - the aragonés, the primitivo, el San Salvador and el Camino de Fisterra - and the heartwarming history of the albergue in Fuenteroble and American Pilgrims' relation with this important facility on the Vía de la Plata. And as always there was time for personal interactions with other peregrinos, past and future. Saturday evening's Camino Cabaret was an outlet for the varied (!) talents of our attendees. Who would have guessed!?

If you weren't able to attend you can get some sense of what you missed by browsing through the beautiful program. 1MB

The American Pilgrims on the Camino offers a hearty ¡Muchas gracias! to our friends from the Xacobeo organization in Galicia, Spain who have provided generous support for the Gathering. You might consider visiting their web site (by clicking on their logo). It truly is an outstanding resource for pilgrims, particularly this year for events having to do with the Holy Year. And of course they continue to be the definitive source for information on the Camino routes in Galicia.

Hospitalero training by American Pilgrims is always conducted in conjunction with annual Gatherings and we are offering a session in San Francisco July 23-25, 2010. Download the announcement. Consider giving back to the Camino!. Those who have gone on from walking the Camino to serving as hospitaleros say that this experience if anything is even more rewarding than the Camino itself. For some insight into the sense of fulfillment, there is an interesting YouTube video about service that has snippets of interviews with the late Don José María of San Juan de Ortega, Don Jesús Jato of the albergue Ave Fenix and the Confraternity's Marion Marples.

For more information, see our Hospitaleros page.

In addition to the training offered by American Pilgrims, weekend courses are offered Canada several times each year. Our Canadian brethren or anyone who cannot make it to training offered by American Pilgrims might consider this alternative. Please see our Local/Regional Events page.