Advise or suggestions please?

[vicente n dela cruz]

Dearest Friends of the Camino,

Greetings and salutations. First of all, I am pleased to share this very important news to all of you. In an interview with Catholic News Service (Warsaw, Poland) yesterday, January 21, Archbishop Julian Barrio of Santiago de Campostela announced that with the approval of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, this year (2004) is declared a HOLY YEAR for the Shrine of Saint James of the Galicia, a.k.a., Santiago de Campostela. The Holy Year celebration coincides with the enlargement of the European Union. The Pope referred to Santiago de Campostela as "the spiritual heart of Europe". Deo gracias!  

My name is Very Reverend Vicente DeLa Cruz, a Roman Catholic Priest and the Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana. I am 40 years old and have been a priest in this Diocese for 13 years. I am a native of the Philippines and now a citizen of this great country. Since my ordination to the Priesthood, I have organized and led groups of Pilgrims to the Holy Land, Italy, and just recently to Europe (Portugal, Spain and France). One of the highlights of our recent pilgrimage was visiting Santiago de Campostela that completed my personal tour of the ancient pilgrimage sites, viz., Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago.

On the occasion of my upcoming 15th year anniversary of ordination to the priesthood in 2005, I asked my Bishop for permission to take a 5-month sabbatical commencing in May to September 2005. Compared to normal and typical sabbatical programs, I told my Bishop that I would like to do the "Camino de Santiago" on a bicycle, starting from Plymouth, U.K. all the way to the Shrine. To make my journey more meaningful, I have volunteered to raise funds for a local cause, programs of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) to end poverty in America, in our own backyard. I intend to get our local people to pledge dollars for every mile I will cover on the Camino, the proceeds will go to CCHD projects in our local Diocese. I plan to begin my journey with a retreat somewhere in Plymouth, U.K., do the Camino, and end with a retreat in Santiago. I "hope" to arrive in Santiago on or on the eve of the Feast of St. James, i.e., July 25th. In sum, I have three reasons for doing the Camino: (1) to take the much needed Sabbatical, (2) to renew, strengthen and rediscover my vocation to the priesthood, and (3) to bring into focus and attention of many the growing poverty in our country.

I am in good physical health and have been riding bikes since I was a little boy in the Philippines. Cycling is part of my regular exercise and renewal. I studied and received my law degree in Rome, have travelled all over Europe and have been to Santiago already. I have read books, articles and diaries about the Camino and have done some research. All I have to do now is to put into writing my plan, my program and my official itinerary.

I am looking for advise, suggestions and/or assistance from you all who have been there and done that. Will you be kind enough to lead an aspiring traveller on the Road to Santiago? Please? I am looking forward to hearing from most of you. With prayers I am

Father Vic


Vicente N. DeLa Cruz
P. O. Box 1414
Gray, La. 70359

Phone: (985) 594-3401
E-Mail: vicruzamsn.com<mailto:vicruzamsn.com>
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