My Archbishop is Not a Wimp

Last updated on: February 9, 2017 at 12:19 am by Rebecca Hamilton

Bishop_James_S_Wall_of_Gallup_NM_Archbishop_Paul_S_Cokely_of_Oklahoma_City_and_Bishop_James_D_Conley_of_Denver_pose_on_the_Camino_de_Santiago_de_Compostela_CNA500_9_10_12 — Archbishop Coakley is the one in the middle.

My religious leader, Archbishop Paul Coakley, is not a wimp.

Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, along with a small group of Catholic bishops and priests from America, walked the El Camino de Santiago in Spain. The El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St James) is a 100 mile pilgrimage that leads to the tomb of St James in Santiago, Spain. They made the walk August 21 to August 28.

The priests and bishops who made the pilgrimage together were: Archbishop Coakley, Bishop James Wall of Gallup NM, auxiliary Bishop James Conley of Denver Co, Fr Gerry Baker of Owensboro KY, and Fr Don Kline of Pheonix, AZ.

I’ve been to the tomb of St James in Santiago. The church which houses the tomb has a stone near its entrance which has been kissed by generations of pilgrims as they complete their long walk. The stone is worn away, hollowed out, by a thousand years of pilgrims, touching their lips to its cool surface.

I kissed this stone. However, I cheated. I walked to the church … from my hotel. My “pilgrimage” was a lot less rigorous.

But then, I AM a wimp.

Clearly, my archbishop is not.

For more details, read here.