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 2012 Gathering of Pilgrims

Roads Less Traveled

Tuesday, March 27 through Monday, April 2, 2012
The San Pedro Center, Winter Park, Florida

Register

Hospitalero Training
Tuesday, March 27 - Thursday, March 29, 2012
Available only to members of American Pilgrims
and to those who have previously walked or cycled on the Camino

If you have financial concerns that will prevent you from registering for hospitalero training, please be aware
that American Pilgrims has an Hospitalero Training Scholarship Program.
For details and to apply, please visit our Grant Program page. If you do apply for this
grant, please wait until after the award notification date of February 11, 2012
to actually register for the training.

2012 Gathering of Pilgrims
Friday, March 30 - Sunday, April 1, 2012

Spiritual Retreat
Sunday, April 1 - Monday, 2, 2012

Click here for the complete information packet!

Register online!

Register by mail - staying at the San Pedro Center

Register by mail - NOT staying at the San Pedro Center

Contact our Gatherings coordinator for further general information about the 2012 Gathering. Contact Gatherings registrations if you have questions or concerns about your existing 2012 Gathering registration. Contact our Hospitalero training coordinator for further information about hospitalero training.

Current conditions in Winter Park

Average maximum and minimum temperatures for Winter Park for March 30 are 81° and 58°.

For its 14th Annual Gathering of Pilgrims, American Pilgrims on the Camino returned to the Old Mission Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California March 22 through 29, 2011. The Gathering's theme was "Voices of the Camino: Past, Present and Future". 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, "A Virtual Reconstruction of the Romanesque Cathedral and Town of Santiago de Compostela on the 800th Anniversary of Its Consecration " was delivered by John Dagenais, Professor of Medieval Iberian Literature at UCLA. Other talks ranged from the Codex Calixtinus to the globalization of the modern Camino with stops on the way including young voices on the Camino, a riotous romp through Camino symbolism, archaeology in the Cathedral and bringing the Camino experience back home. One of the highlights of the entire week was the Friday evening performance by the ensemble Ciaramella of music of the Spanish Renaissance and earlier in the lovely Serra Chapel. 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!?

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 website (by clicking on their logo). It truly is an outstanding resource for pilgrims. And of course they are the definitive source for information on the Camino routes in Galicia.

Hospitalero training by American Pilgrims is always conducted in conjunction with the annual Gathering but in addition we offer other sessions throughout the year. Check the Hospitaleros page for further information.

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.