You all know that I love going on pilgrimage. I could hardly call myself the Catholic Pilgrim if I didn’t, right? Recently, I came in contact with Christian Clifford, a Catholic who walked the 800 miles of the El Camino Real in California. Along this journey, he visited all 21 missions, a feat that I have desired to do for awhile now. Christian wrote a book about his journey and I was intrigued by his story. The Knights of Columbus made of a video about his pilgrimage and in it, Christian said, “To go on pilgrimage is to step out of the mundane and do something beautiful for God.” What a perfect way to sum up the joy of going on pilgrimage.
Please talk a few minutes to read this interview with Christian. I’d encourage you to follow the various links below to check out his book, the video, and pictures of his incredible journey.
Tell me a bit about your Catholic background and what initially sparked this idea in you?
My decision to walk the 800-mile California Missions Trail was pretty spontaneous. I have been a practicing Catholic my whole life. I became a Knight of Columbus in 2009 (in 2022, they produced a wonderful video about my pilgrimage). I read a good article in St. Anthony Messenger in 2016 about pilgrimages and their uniqueness (compared to like travel, walking, and hiking). I am a high school theology teacher and end the year with a pilgrim’s prayer. We are a pilgrim people. Also, I would love to go to a Catholic Youth Day with my son. I usually speak about it with my students. I remember watching a video of a pilgrimage to the WYD in Poland. It was inspiring. So, I guess these were the seeds that were planted that helped me to finally decide to make a pilgrimage myself. When my father-in-law passed away, I thought it would be a good time to hit the trail and pray for him and reflect on my life.
What was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome?
The physical part was challenging. I was a scout and am a Navy veteran, so I never thought walking would be so tough. I ran out of water and phone charge a few times, walked in 100+ temperatures, had a scary encounter with a bull and a surreal experience with a goat, got blisters, and lost a few toenails. Advil, moleskin, dry socks, battery pack/power bank, and sunscreen helped a lot. I met members of a group dedicated to walking routes along the historic El Camino Real–the California Mission Walkers–who were very supportive in helping me overcome many hurdles.
Which mission was your favorite to visit and why?
It is hard to choose. The 21 California missions, founded by Saint Junípero Serra, OFM (1713-1784), have unique histories and each is special in its own way. The Faith is alive and well in California, not only at the Shrine of Saint Junípero Serra at Carmel Mission Basilica, but at eighteen of the missions. Though not a parish, a priest from the local Catholic parish, Our Lady of Solitude, celebrates Mass at Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad once a month. Mission La Purísima Concepción (at Lompoc) and Mission San Francisco Solano (at Sonoma) are state parks. If I had to choose, I would probably say the Shrine of Saint Junípero Serra at Carmel Mission Basilica is my favorite. My family visits there annually. My wife and I are both teachers, so we pray for our students and a school year filled with many blessings, especially for our son who is currently a freshman. A close second is the remotest, and many say most authentic, Mission San Antonio de Padua, the third California mission founded. If readers want to see images from my pilgrimage and the missions, they can visit my FLICKR page.
What’s something about St. Junipero Serra that you wish people knew and understood?
There are so many things I love about him and why I have a special devotion to him. He is possibly one of the most studied people in United States history, yet he is still misunderstood. There is not one thing in particular that I wish people knew, but I propose an invitation: Get to know him and one will not be let down. His writings are available online for free. What one will discover is a man, in many ways, similar to you and me, but who was so dependent on God’s grace that he provides a great role model of faith and will inspire one to evangelize.
What was your feeling when you completed the pilgrimage?
Grateful.
I, also, celebrated! I always enjoyed a local libation at the end of each segment between missions. So, of course, I ended my pilgrimage at Mission Sonoma with a glass of wine from the famous Sonoma Valley wine region. I end each chapter of my book — Pilgrimage: In Search of the REAL California Missions — with a celebratory drink.
Do you have another pilgrimage in mind for the future?
I hope so. The CMT (California Mission Trail) is the only one I’ve done, so far. After seeing The Way, when it came out in 2010, I was fired up to do the Camino de Santiago. My goal was to complete it in 2021 due to it being a jubilee year and arrive on the Feast Day of St. James (July 25). In May 2018, after being made aware of the CMT, I thought why not do that as preparation for the Camino in Spain since it is in my own backyard. Then, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, so I had no choice. I look forward to the day that I can walk the Camino de Santiago, God willing. Another pilgrimage route on my wish list is closer to home, the Camino de Sonoma.
Why is pilgrimage so important for us as Catholics?
In my experience of the CMT, I met people from all walks of life who were walking the trail for different reasons: Some walk alone, others in groups or with a few people, some walk for exercise, adventure, a challenge, the history, culture and, of course, for religious reasons — engaging in physical travel toward a spiritual goal. Jesus was a walker. Supposedly the average person in that part of the world at the time, when they did walk, averaged about twenty miles a day. I started walking anywhere between 8-12 miles a day and ended up walking a few marathons a day. You never know what you can do until you try. More importantly, pilgrimage is important because it brought me closer to Christ and those who came before me —indigenous, Spanish and mestizo — the earliest Catholics in California.
