In climbing to the Iron Cross, a couple draws closer to God
Dan and Karen Schoenfelder of Holy Family Parish in New Albany celebrate a moment during their journey along the Camino. (Submitted photo)
(Editor’s note: A record 499,239 pilgrims from all over the world walked the Camino pilgrimage 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.)
11th—and last—in a series
By John Shaughnessy
As she prepared to visit one of the most sacred sites she has ever experienced, Karen Schoenfelder had her own vision of what that moment would be—a vision that included beautiful weather for climbing to the place of the Iron Cross.
Instead, the early morning, mile-high climb to Mount Irago—the highest point on the French Camino—began with light rain and a temperature of 41 degrees.
“Naturally, I prayed right away that it wouldn’t pour down rain on us, as the climb was going to be difficult enough. Approximately 10 minutes into the climb, the misty rain turned to sleet,” says Karen, who also recalls herself muttering at that moment, “Gee, thanks God! Love your sense of humor!”
By the time she and her husband Dan reached the top of the mount and stood before the Cruz de Ferro—Iron Cross—the sleet had turned to snow. But Karen was no longer focused on the weather. Instead, the couple from Holy Family Parish in New Albany looked in awe at the cross, the 11th-century monument where people have come for centuries for a special purpose.
“Here, pilgrims bring small stones with them from home to leave at the Iron Cross, representing a burden, sin or fear they wish to leave behind,” Karen says. “We took our time to do just that. It was a very special and emotional moment as we placed our stones on the pile of thousands of stones left by previous pilgrims and said prayers beneath the tall Iron Cross.
“While at the top of the mountain with no traffic and very few pilgrims, we stopped to listen to the silent snow falling and to take in the peace and the beauty that surrounded us. A truly amazing moment. I believe God whispered to me, ‘Karen I had this day planned especially for you, and I am delighted that you appreciate it.’ ”
As the couple headed down the mountain, the snow turned to rain while Karen’s thoughts kept turning to God.
“I never would have dreamed that being so cold and wet would turn out to be one of the most special and favorite days on the Camino,” she says.” While I prayed for what I thought I wanted, God gave me something so much better.”
‘We get to touch God’
Dan had his own revelation about drawing closer to God as he stepped into a small church during the couple’s Camino journey.
“The quiet time on the Camino helped me see things about our Catholic faith that I had either taken for granted or had missed completely,” he says. “An example of this occurred while hiking across Spain. I stopped at a small church to pray and encountered the incredible architecture of the 16th-century church of St. Mary of the Assumption in Navarrete, Spain, population 2,914. Such a little town with such a jewel.
“My younger self definitely enjoyed seeing beautiful churches, but always questioned why so much money was spent on the beautiful architecture instead of helping the poor.”
At 64, Dan has a different perspective, one he considers from the architect’s point of view.
“The architect understood that the Mass was the closest thing that we have to heaven on Earth,” Dan notes. “The architect knew that when we enter a church, we come into the real presence of Jesus.
“The architect knew that during the Eucharist, we get to touch God. Knowing all that, the architect would have to include paintings and statues of saints, angels, the queen of heaven, the crucified and risen Lord with marble, real and gilded gold paint.”
All those details, Dan believes, are the architect’s way of giving people a sense of the beauty of heaven.
It’s just one of the ways that Dan’s experiences as a pilgrim have deepened his faith.
“Our Camino experiences have led us to seek out spending time in God’s creation wherever we go on vacation or pilgrimage,” he says. “Whether it is following the path of St. Paul in Corinth, Greece, climbing Apparition Hill in Medjugorje or touring centuries-old churches across France, every experience brings us closer to God.”
‘I pray that I would be as gracious to a stranger’
Walking the Camino has also made the couple focus more on the goodness of humanity and the bonds we share with people from different backgrounds.
Dan experienced that reality in a moment of need.
“We were constantly impressed by the helpfulness and generosity of the locals along the way,” Dan says. “After several long hikes during unseasonably hot weather, I developed a heat rash that could not be addressed by over-the-counter meds, and so we contacted a taxi driver to take me to the emergency room.
“Knowing that the people in the ER would likely not speak English, he came into the lobby and helped me get checked in. Hours later, he then picked me up and took me to a pharmacy. He went into the pharmacy and picked up my prescription and would not let me reimburse him for it.
“Since the doctors did not want me walking the next day, he picked me up the following morning and took me to our next destination while Karen hiked. He called me several days later to make sure that I had recovered. I pray that I would be as gracious to a stranger who needed my help.”
Karen saw the same connection with their fellow pilgrims who started as strangers.
“I was surprised at the camaraderie I felt with the other pilgrims,” she says. “We found our ‘Camino family’ in the places we stayed, and we met them time and again as we walked. We were thousands of miles from home, and yet we knew faces and names as we entered a new town or went to a restaurant for dinner.”
She shares the story of a pilgrim they saw several times in churches and cafes during their journey.
“We recognized each other and would share a smile and a wave, but we didn’t speak the same language,” she recalls. “While in the plaza where the pilgrims finish the Camino and take photos, he ran up to us and hugged us and was talking excitedly in an unknown language, but we knew exactly what he was saying. It went something like this: ‘We made it! Can you believe it?! Thank you for being a part of my amazing Camino! Until we meet again!’
“We have made many friends from places around the world and still keep in touch with many of them.”
‘One of the greatest blessings’
Sharing these experiences has also brought the couple, who have been married for 42 years, even closer together.
“Dan and I feel blessed that we share a love of our faith, as well as our love for travel and for hiking,” Karen says. “When you combine those three, the Camino is a natural pilgrimage to take. There’s no better way to see a country than to walk through small villages and cities, cross rivers and mountains, smell eucalyptus trees and cattle farms. Beauty is everywhere in God’s creation.
“While the Camino was a shared experience, we each experienced our own Camino. We would always start the day walking together, but gradually we would get into our own pace of walking and end up walking separately for a while. That gave us time for personal prayer and time to meet different pilgrims. We would always share meals together and end the day together.”
Some of their most powerful moments came in sharing daily Mass together.
“We were amazed to find Mass in most of the small towns,” Karen says. “Going to Mass so often was truly one of the greatest blessings for us. It’s hard to put into words just how meaningful it felt and how deeply it strengthened our bond as a couple.
“It’s an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life.” †
