On my third day on the Camino this May, near Riego de Ambros near Molinaseca, I met a South Korean woman. We started chatting and found some common ground. She was very outgoing and entertaining, a passionate Catholic...it was like sparks flew, like I'd found someone special. For the next two weeks, Y. was my Camino Angel. She'd start about 15km ahead of me, but I'd make up the distance since I'd start early and she'd start later. It was a game of tortoise-and-hare. We shared special times together, and remain in contact.
A treasured story. We wanted to get together one more time before we went our separate ways. We decided to meet at the chapel in the Pilgrim's Office for the 9:30am English Mass on a Monday. Naturally, I was there way early, like 8:45am. I hung around until about 9:25am, and Y. hadn't appeared. So I went in the chapel and found a seat. Now, I'm completely Protestant, and have little familiarity with Catholic Mass. Mass started, and they have a ritual where each pilgrim introduces him/herself...where they're from, where they started. They come to me, and I say "I'm K. from Phoenix, AZ, I started in Leon and arrived yesterday. I was moved to attend Mass by a South Korean woman I met on the Camino." Low murmur throughout the crowd. Introductions finish, and suddenly the back door opens. I turn around, and my jaw hits the floor. It's Y., my Camino Angel. She sits four rows in front of me, and we're singing "Amazing Grace." The whole situation hits me...I'm in Mass, we're singing "Amazing Grace," and my Angel is here. It's too much...I start crying. Later, it's time for Communion. People start lining up, and Y. comes four rows back to where I'm seated. She says "Get in line. When you get to the priest, put your hands on your shoulders to show you don't want Communion." At this point I'm thinking, just do what she says...she knows what she's doing, don't mess it up. So I get in line and get to the priest, and put my hands on my shoulders as instructed. He blesses me. I'm in a total fog, not believing that this is all happening. Afterwards, Y. tells me, "Your being here personalized the service for me."
I was fortunate that my Camino Angel was South Korean.
