Bridget Bryan

Like traveling? Can’t travel right now? How about taking an interior journey while following the progress of a beautiful building?

Camino in Spanish means “the way.” It refers to the Camino De Santiago (The Way of St. James), one of the oldest, and longest pilgrimages in Europe. (There’s a good movie about it, with Martin Sheen, actually called The Way.)

So, why ‘A New Camino?’

Well, I’ve started a project  to unite painting the physical progress of the New Immaculata (the historic Neo-Romanesque church being built in our town), with the interior journey as a pilgrim traveling through this Marian Year. (It was called by our parish priest to prepare us to ‘arrive’ worthy to use this new Church.)

Uh, what if you’re not Catholic and a believer in this sort of stuff?

Good question! Well, we all have a soul…”The Kingdom of Heaven is within you,” (Luke 17:20-21). But to arrive there, some invisible traveling needs to be done. I’ll help show you how to capture life’s daily journey as an adventure while doing my own!

We all have an interior journey to make. If you like the idea of doing a travel journal, or seeing how someone blends both together, I would be honored to have you as a fellow pilgrim.

Keep reading to see what you’ll see in each post about this:

Each entry about the Camino de Immaculata will have:

1. 1 Highlight of the Day on the trail.
2. 1 Exterior Progress of the Church noticed.
3. 1 Invisible Gem from Mass .
4. Pictures, aka, paintings, because, well, what’s a story without pictures, as my Dad would say.

So, today is just the barebones outline for you with an explanation:

1. Hightlight: My route to the Immaculata is by way of trying to go to daily Mass.
   • The whole point of having this Church built is to have a place worthy of the Mass. Right now, we have Mass in the Old Jesuit refectory and in our auditorium. Not very sacred spaces, eh?This sacred space will be a home worthy of the Mother of God, and worthy of the sacrifice of the Mass. As Mary was a strength, standing, supporting witness to the redeeming sacrifice of her Son, so this building will be. Thus, I want to grow more close to this Mass.
   • I want to examine it, make connections.
   • The stories and struggles of the traveler’s trail will unfold as likenesses in the struggles of getting up on time, walking in the cold, fasting -reject that last cup of coffee -all these will be the invivisble blisters and obstacles that a traveler must patiently endure if he’s to be a good traveling companion.
2. 1 Exterior Progress of the Church noticed from the week.
   • I’ve filled an entire A4 sized journal of last year’s progress, so many of you have seen this progression from time to time.
   • After Mass I usually drive or walk up to the building site; there’s bound to be something new to share. It’s not every day you get to see the largest Church in Kansas being built!
3. 1 Invisible Gem from Mass .
   • When I was in college we attended yearly religious retreats. One year we were fortunate enough to have Fr. Daniel Cooper, RIP, walk us through the entire Mass and show us how it is like Calvary. I’d like to share these little tidbits and gems as I try to stick to my resolution.
4. Enjoy the photos you see thus far! Whats a trip without pictures anyways, right?

The pictures you’re seeing are from the first page in the Camino Travel Journal. The Logod you saw at eh beginning has a cool story to it. To be shared later…

Have you ever tried to bring travel into your daily life? How?

When you click the picture-link below, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Click and you’re the best! This Tim Ferris-recommended book assured my I wasn’t crazy when I first started hatching this idea.

“Make travel part of your system.” ~Rolf Potts