Holy Encounters
Join the PSR staff on a life-changing pilgrimage experience on the Camino de Santiago.
Apply Here!!!
This pilgrimage follows the Camino del Norte, one of the oldest and least-traveled routes to Santiago, walked for centuries by pilgrims who hugged the northern coast to avoid Moorish-controlled roads further inland. Over 14 days you’ll trace the Bay of Biscay west from the Basque Country into Galicia, ending at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the purported resting place of St. James the Apostle. You’ll disconnect from the demands of ministry and journey inward toward a deeper awareness of yourself, your calling, and your faith.
As clergy, spiritual leaders, and preachers, you pour yourself out for others constantly. This pilgrimage is structured to pour back into you. Morning devotions and reflections will create space for spiritual growth. Evening group processing will give you room to name and integrate what’s surfacing emotionally. Gentle stretching and restorative yoga will keep your body present and awake to the journey.
You’ll be guided by two experienced preaching professors, walking 7–15 miles per day and staying in semi-private accommodations. The Camino del Norte runs along cliffs above the Bay of Biscay, through fishing villages, port cities turned cultural capitals, and the green mountains of Cantabria and Asturias. You’ll begin in San Sebastián, before the route carries you through Bilbao, Santander, and the coastal towns of Asturias, tracing the shoreline west toward Galicia.
The final stretch brings you into Galicia for the last 100 kilometers, the section that earns you the official Compostela certificate upon arrival. Along the way you’ll pass Playa de las Catedrales, the Cathedrals Beach, where sea arches carved into the cliffs only appear at low tide. In Santiago, you’ll tour the Cathedral of St. James, attend the Pilgrim’s Mass, and receive your Compostela, the Church’s recognition that you made the walk.
This route carries UNESCO World Heritage status, and it’s the least crowded, most physically demanding of the major Camino paths. It will ask something of your body. It will give something back to your soul.
| Jake Myers (he/him) Wade P. Huie Jr. Associate Professor of Homiletics Columbia Theological Seminary Rev. Dr. Jake Myers has served on the faculty of Columbia Theological Seminary for 10 years and currently serves as the Wade P. Huie, Jr. Associate Professor of Homiletics. He is an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the PC(USA). Jake is the author of dozens of scholarly essays and has authored or co-authored 7 books. His latest releases include: Stand-up Comedy, Theology, and Ethics (Bloomsbury, 2025); Preaching Philosophy: French Thought for Gospel Proclamation (Baylor University Press, 2025; and Stand-Up Preaching: Homiletical Insights from Contemporary Comedians (Cascade, 2022). Jake has worked on staff in churches in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Jake is also known as The Preaching Doctor, where he provides virtual preaching consultations to pastors wanting to take their preaching to the next level and short-form videos to resource preachers on his YouTube channel. He is passionate about teaching preaching and loves sharing that excitement with others. Jake is also a certified yoga instructor and loves being able to connect his mind, body, and spirit in his yoga practice. When he is not at the gym or yoga studio, Jake enjoys backpacking, scuba diving, rock climbing, and (poorly) playing his Ukelele. He is the proud father of Taylor, a 19-year-old student at the University of Hawaii, Nathan (16), and Max (13). Jenn Carlier (she/they) Associate Dean, Academic Programs Affiliate Professor of Theology Columbia Theological Seminary Dr. Jenn Carlier (she/they) is the Associate Dean for Academic Programs at Columbia Theological Seminary. Their research and teaching focuses on the encounter between lived experience and theology and seeks to reimagine theologies and practices that are liberative for underrepresented communities. Their research interests include queer and feminist theologies, the intersections of theology and mental health, metaphorical theology, and moral injury. Their book, Finding God in the Basement: Reimagining a Theology of Addiction and Recovery comes out in January 2026. Dr. Carlier has also written liturgies for the Feasting on the Word Worship Companion series, has published in Pastoral Psychology, and given a TheoEd Talk on their work. They have taught both introductory courses in theology and ethics, and electives such as, Queer Theologies, Theologies of Addiction, Jesus in Global Context, and Ecclesiologies in Action. Prior to coming to Columbia Theological Seminary, Dr. Carlier served as a Louisville Post-Doctoral Fellow at Candler School of Theology where they taught courses in ethics and theology. Beyond their work in higher education, Dr. Carlier also served churches in both the US (as Stembler Fellow at First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta) and the Netherlands (as Associate for Ault Education and Youth Ministries at the American Protestant Church of The Hague). Before earning their PhD in Theological Studies from Emory University, Dr. Carlier earned an MA in English Literature from Leiden University in the Netherlands, an MA in Theological Studies from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and an MDiv from Columbia Theological Seminary. They are an avid fan of Lego, strategy board games, pickleball, and woodworking |
Day 1: Arrive in San Sebastián
Day 2: San Sebastián to Zarautz
Day 3: Zarautz to Deba
Day 4: Deba to Merkina-Xemein
Day 5: Merkina-Xemein to Gernika
Day 6: Gernika to Lezama
Day 7: Lezama to Bilbao
Day 8: Bilbao to Baamonde
Day 9: Baamonde to A Roxica
Day 10: A Roxica to Sobrado do Monxes
Day 11: Sobrado do Monxes to Arzua
Day 12: Arzua to A Rua
Day 13: A Rua to Santiago de Compostela
Day 14: Depart for Home
The total program fee is $1,999. A 50% non-refundable deposit is due at the time of acceptance, following interviews. All balances are due May 1, 2027.
Your Program Fee Includes:
Not Included:
Applications will be accepted until November 15, 2026. After the application window closes, you will be contacted to schedule a 30-minute Zoom conversation with the program facilitators.
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