Grade 8 pupils Arushi Dahiya, Dominique Lobban, Tomasia Manja and Avani Mtiti, as well as with Grade 10 pupils Ojasvani Dahiya and Genevieve Lobban, together with De Leeuw, will walk part of a route that formed one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the Middle Ages.
The tradition sees millions of journey to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia where it is believed that the remains of Apostle St. James the Great are buried, and is also taken up as a challenge of spiritual growth by many travellers. The tradition was also brought to wider audience in the western world through Brazilian author Paulo Coehlo’s 1987 novel The Pilgrimage, which explores the ideas of self-improvement and discovery based on the author’s travels along the way of St. James.
Spokesperson for the school Gaby Lobban said, “These pupils, aged between 14 and 16, have chosen to walk 250km of the 900km journey which follows an old Roman trade road now called El Camino de Santiago [The Way of St James], and converges at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, north-western Spain.
“Today, the route is walked by hundreds of pilgrims every year, and not necessarily for religious reasons. More than 2.5 million people visit the cathedral by car, bus, plane and train, and the route can be travelled by foot, bicycle or even on horseback.”
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