A small guitar and unexpected friendships create a lasting harmony on the Camino
Lisa Gray, left, Tony Schroeder and John Gray, members of Prince of Peace Parish in Madison, flash smiles in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain after completing their 500-mile journey on the Camino last spring. (Submitted photo)
(Editor’s note: A record 499,239 pilgrims from all over the world walked the Camino pilgrimage route in northern Spain in 2024. The Criterion has invited people from the archdiocese who have made all or part of that pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain to share how that experience has influenced their life and their faith.)
Seventh in an occasional series
By John Shaughnessy
When Lisa Gray recalls her most memorable moments from walking the Camino this past spring, she quickly focuses on the scenes involving two travelers, one Ukrainian and the other Russian.
“We witnessed them talking and sharing, even touring the Burgos cathedral together,” says Gray, a member of Prince of Peace Parish in Madison. “The last time I saw them together, they were hugging each other when their paths parted. Peace between two strangers whose countries are at war.”
That magical scene leads her to recall more moments of harmony, especially the ones related to some impromptu musical sessions during the 500-mile journey from France to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
“I walked the Camino with my husband John and our friend and neighbor, Tony Schroeder,” Gray says. “John carried a small travel guitar attached to his backpack, and each evening he and Tony shared music wherever we were. It was beautiful to watch community form around them, people sharing their love of music and meeting new friends. Numerous times, people commented that they’d had a tough day, and the evening’s music renewed their spirit.
“Pilgrims recognized them along the route or saw the guitar and asked if they were the Guitar Guys from Indiana they had heard about.”
One musical session connected Gray with a woman named Denise, whom Gray came to regard as “my Camino Archangel.”
“She had been reminded of her great love for music, and several days later, decided to purchase a small guitar,” Gray begins the story. “To make room for the guitar, she needed to ship her other belongings ahead. This required her to backtrack to a postal office in a larger town.
“Since we had last seen Denise, I had been suffering from intense heel pain that had traveled up my leg and numbed the top half of my foot, making every step excruciating. One afternoon, I sat on a bench to rest and wait while my husband ran an errand. Denise, who is trained in massage and acupuncture, saw me and treated me right then and there, in the hot sun in the middle of this paved plaza, without hesitation.
“As she placed the acupuncture needles into my foot, I felt a huge release and instant relief. Before leaving to find the postal office, Denise massaged and taped my foot and leg, and she showed me how to massage them to prevent the pain from returning.”
Gray marvels at all those connections, seeing God amid them.
“We would not have known each other except for John and Tony sharing their music that sparked her desire for her own guitar that caused her to backtrack to ship her belongings from the town where she found me sitting in pain questioning if I would be able to finish my Camino,” Gray says.
“As we experienced many times, there are no coincidences along The Way. God returned music to her heart and sent her skills and healing spirit to me. I met many ‘Camino angels’ as we walked; however, I lovingly call Denise my Camino Archangel.”
A favorite song, a gift of friendship
During their evening musical sessions, John and Tony took turns playing the small guitar while leading their fellow travelers in song, including the one that always had everyone joining in and belting it out—“Take Me Home, Country Roads,” the John Denver classic.
“They had a set list, but they were flexible in changing it when they felt drawn to a different song or if they had requests,” Gray notes. “While walking, people would talk about their favorite artist or song, and if that person was in the audience that evening, they’d play it for them. It really was such a community builder.
“One night in the albergue [hostel] dining room, we were helping clean up after the music and someone had artistically written on the paper tablecloth “Music is Spiritual,” and that is how it felt each evening.”
That musical connection led to another memorable friendship, with a traveler named R.J.
“We kept turning up at the same albergues, and through our time together we shared many deep conversations. We laughed, we cried, we all enjoyed music together,” Gray says. “A California native now living in Barcelona, Spain, R.J. shared his childhood memories of spending summers with his cousins in northern Indiana.
“As our friendship grew, he learned we planned to spend some days in Barcelona before our return to Indiana. Our conversations asking for advice on where to stay in this large Spanish city turned into an invitation to stay at his apartment in the heart of all we had hoped to see there.”
Finishing their 500-mile pilgrimage on the Camino came first for the Grays and Schroeder, and they did—14 days after Denise had made it possible for Lisa to continue the journey with her healing touch.
“I was able to walk hand-in-hand with John and Tony into Santiago, as the bagpipe tune drew us closer and closer to the cathedral,” Gray recalls. “When I turned around and took in the sight of the Cathedral de Santiago’s spires reaching to heaven, I thanked God for all those who had made my journey one of the most incredible blessings of my life, including Denise.”
‘All are loved, accepted and supported’
In the days that followed, the three members of Prince of Peace Parish traveled to Barcelona, taking R.J. up on the offer of his home and hospitality.
Wanting to share their gratitude, they thought about a thank-you gift and agreed on one that left them and R.J. smiling.
“We gifted our new brother the guitar that John and Tony had played on our 500-mile-plus trek across Spain, signed by the Guitar Guys and their roadie—me,” Gray says.
Months after completing the pilgrimage, Gray becomes thoughtful as she tries to capture the gift and the essence of the experience.
“The Camino isn’t as much about the physical walking of the miles as it is about the people you meet,” she says. “People walk for different reasons—spiritual, walking through grief, seeking peace, to work through major life decisions, or the physical challenge.
“For every pilgrim, there is a specific reason, and that reason might fluctuate daily. All are loved, accepted and supported just by being on that journey, no matter their nationality, ethnicity, financial status or other potential differences. Those who wish to know others more deeply also respect the boundaries of those who have chosen or need to maintain their solitude.”
For the people who do get to know each other deeply, the bond is remarkable and blessed, she says.
“Friendships made on the Camino are not random. Those people whom God intends to be together continue to encounter each other. We had so many instances of this divine significant placement. That list of names is long, and we are still in contact with many of them. We are planning a reunion in May in California, this eclectic group from around the world.”
She shares one more thought about the pilgrimage.
“No one on Camino or in life ever walks alone.” †
