Walking Pilgrimage – Pilgrims will walk approximately 65 miles in 5 days over moderate to rough terrain. If you have any questions please reach out to Creatio Staff with questions.

Enjoy prayer and recreation time, unparalleled natural beauty, and fun with your fellow “peregrinos” (pilgrims) as you make the trek to El Santuario de Chimayó. Creatio’s experienced guides will lead you on this pilgrimage both in nature and in spirit. Our guides have been on this route many times; in fact, we helped create it!

This pilgrimage is physically demanding. The terrain is rugged, weather conditions can vary wildly, and if you are not physically active you should start putting some miles underfoot now to prepare.

Participants should plan to depart from Denver on May 31 in the early evening/after work. The group will then drive to Northern New Mexico. We will begin walking towards Chimayó on the morning of June 1. If you are not from Denver, you should plan to fly into Denver by NOON on May 31.

You’ll spend most of your time walking in the Carson National Forest or on roads adjacent to it. Wheeler Peak, New Mexico’s highest point, is located in the forest, as well as a number of ski resorts and trails taking advantage of the forest’s beautiful setting.

Daily distances range from 11 to 17.5 miles for a total of nearly 65 miles on foot.

During a walking pilgrimage, each step makes us conscious of the direction of our lives, of where we are going. As we walk we see how our lives are like a voyage filled with joy, effort, beauty, suffering, surprises, goals, adventure, love and expectation. But our life is not only “like” a pilgrimage, it is in fact a pilgrimage from birth to death; in this world we are only “strangers and sojourners” (1 Pe. 2:11). “For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.” (1 Tim 6:7) We are all pilgrims, and this life, this passage, is the time we are given to reach the eternal goal.

Pilgrimages have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, perhaps as a counterbalance to modern-day culture.  They offer a mindful escape from the frenetic pace of modern life and promise a space for silence and reflection that a standard “vacation” does not typically have.  One of these pilgrimages is the “camino” to El Santuario de Chimayó.

CHIMAYO, NEW MEXICO

El Santuario de Chimayó is a sacred location in Northern New Mexico. People have made pilgrimages to the site for more than 200 years, even since Bernardo Abeyeta, a local resident, miraculously discovered a holy cross in the hillside of the Chimayó Valley. In time, a chapel was built on the area where the cross was found, and the cross was placed in the sanctuary. Today, thousands of people make pilgrimages to the Santuario de Chimayó every year.

“Community,” “deep conversation,” “friendship.” Many pilgrims chose these words when asked to describe their Creatio Pilgrimage experiences in one phrase. Others affectionately remember their experience by calling their fellow pilgrims their “Pilgrim Family.” Of course, the pilgrim experience is a great opportunity for silence, personal reflection, and soul-searching. But we are made for community, made for an encounter, and much of that soul-searching happens in communion with others. Those conversations that happen while stretching, meeting dogs along the route, or helping someone with their blisters (yes, they’re real) may be the ones that help change our lives. Come prepared to live out the beauty of Community!

Creatio’s spirituality is focused on strengthening the four relationships: relationship with self, with one another, with nature and with God. We encourage all of our pilgrims to be open to experience a deepening of these relationships while on our experiences. We go out into nature and beauty and hope that along the journey, we encounter the depth of ourselves and those around us.

On this Creatio Pilgrimage, there are many opportunities for Spiritual growth and reflection. Pilgrims have the opportunity for daily moments of prayer and reflection led by Creatio guides. Along the way, see some of the oldest churches in the USA and authentic art that expresses the richness of the catholic culture in this area.

One of the best parts of pilgrimage is living a simple life for a week. That being said, you will stay with some of the most hospitable people in all of New Mexico! Our hosts show us how good it is to be received as a pilgrim.

Because this is a pilgrimage, conditions may not exactly be 5 star, but there will always be a safe shelter to rest your head for the night. Typically, we stay on church floors and big parish halls so make sure to bring your own sleeping pad and bag – see Packing List below!