NORMAL — Pilgrims will flock to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain next Saturday, the Feast of St. James, to celebrate the life of the apostle who was martyred for his faith. Joining them in spirit will be two pilgrims from central Illinois who recently walked 72 miles to visit the saint’s tomb.

Gary and Diane Spurgeon, longtime members of Epiphany Parish in Normal, said they relished the opportunity to spend time together, explore new territory and place themselves in the hands of God as they traveled the Camino de Santiago de Compostela or the Way of St. James. It took them five days — from May 27 to May 31 — to complete the pilgrimage.

“Some people spend years doing this,” Gary said, explaining that pilgrims start walking from all over Spain and Europe. “It becomes a community of people walking. You get to talking to people and find out where they’re from.”

Others walk by themselves and meditate, Diane told The Catholic Post. “Everybody goes at their own pace.”

What links them is a phrase that seems to be the password for the journey: “buen camino” or “good road.” Coming or going, pilgrims offer this wish to one another, according to Gary.

“We had never walked those kinds of distances before,” Gary said, noting that each leg of the camino required them to cover 14 to 18 miles.

“We still didn’t know if we could do it back to back,” Diane said.

“And could we get up the next day and do it again?” Gary said.

“It’s amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it,” Diane marveled.

Amid the challenges were the beautiful scenery and charming chapels and churches, which distracted them from sore feet and aching shoulders.

“What also helped us were the people along the way,” Gary said. “We would talk and share. That helped the miles go by.”

“Someone asked me, ‘Why would you want to do this?,'” Diane told The Post. “I said, ‘Why wouldn’t you?'”