The road as teacher
Research on religious affiliation identifies adolescence as a critical inflection point. Across every demographic — from underserved communities to traditional Catholic schools — young people are disengaging from the practices and communities that have historically nourished Christian life. Many identify as Catholic but have little or no lived experience of the Church's contemplative, sacramental, or communal traditions beyond occasional Mass attendance — if they attend at all.
Walking the Way asks whether sustained, embodied engagement with historic Christian practices can serve as a formative counter-inflection point during this crucial stage. The answer, we believe, is found on the road — not in a classroom, retreat center, or parish hall, but in the lived experience of walking, praying, and sharing life together across the landscape of the Camino.
The pilgrimage experience
Two weeks on the Portuguese Route of the Camino de Santiago
Daily Eucharistic worship and sacramental life
Morning and Evening Prayer
Guided Scripture reflection and catechetical formation
Shared communal life marked by simplicity, hospitality, and mutual support
Physical challenge, unfamiliarity, and shared dependence as formative experiences
Pre- and post-program assessment for longitudinal study
A five-year pilot
Walking the Way is a five-year pilot program serving 100 Catholic students (ages 16–18) from the Archdiocese of Miami — 20 per annual cohort. Initial cohorts will be drawn from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, where the project director oversees international programming, with recruitment expanding to parish-based programs, independent Catholic schools, and public schools. The program intentionally welcomes students from diverse backgrounds and is structured to be fully accessible regardless of financial means.
Through pre- and post-program surveys, focus groups, and longitudinal follow-up, the project will explore how pilgrimage-based engagement with Christian practices influences participants' ongoing practice of faith, spiritual identity, and patterns of participation in faith communities over time.
