Group embarks on inauguration trek of Camino de San Francisco

By Max Darrow

After a brief moment of gratitude on the steps of Mission San Rafael Arcangel, around 10 people embarked upon a two-day journey, guided by faith, honor, and tradition.

“I’m doing this because I think it’s a great experience where I can get closer to God, and just get active,” said Alessandro Deleon, a freshman at Junipero Serra High School.

Deleon was one of the people who inaugurated the Camino de San Francisco. It’s a 24.5-mile Catholic pilgrimage connecting two missions: one in San Rafael and the other in San Francisco.

Father Christopher Iwancio led the way.

“We are walking in the footsteps of Junipero Serra and following St. Francis of Assisi,” he said. “We’re basically walking from the Mission of San Rafael to Mission Dolores in San Francisco. We’re celebrating the 800th anniversary of the passing of St Francis.”

On the first day, the group walked about 15 miles from Mission San Rafael Arcangel to the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a special moment for Billy Byrnes, the Ministry Director at Serra.

“This is a great connection between St. Serra and our students and our school,” he said. “Also, this being the inaugural Camino de San Francisco, I really feel fortunate and blessed to be a part of that.”

During a camino, pilgrims put life on hold to focus on the moment, faith, and inner reflection. The students said they took a lot away from the experience.

“You got to see a lot of sites that even Junipero Serra went on – a lot of places that have amazing views,” said Cooper Smith, another student at Serra. “It was all around amazing.”

Deleon really appreciated the sense of community he felt throughout the journey.

“What I came out of this with was, it’s really empowering to do something like together as a group,” he said.

Before getting back on the road on Saturday to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and finish the journey at Mission Dolores in the city, Father Iwancio shared some wisdom that goes well beyond a person’s faith.

“Take a walk with somebody. Take a walk with your neighbors and meet people. Try to meet the people who are around you,” he said. “Maybe you might experience the world a little bit differently.”