The Beacon had the privilege of catching up with alumna Maggie McCausland ’19 who has spent most of the pandemic serving alongside travelers along the Camino de Santiago (known in English as “The Way of St. James”) in Spain. “The Camino” as it is commonly known, is the most famous Christian pilgrimage in the world. Technically, it is a network of multiple pilgrimage journey routes through the Spanish countryside, all of which lead to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain (where tradition maintains the apostles’ remains are buried). More than 200,000 pilgrims from around the world travel The Camino on foot each year, for both short journeys and trips that cover many miles. Maggie is serving as a host at Pilgrim House, a ministry to those seeking a place of refuge, prayer, and reflection as they end their walking pilgrimage along this historical and sacred journey. To learn more about this special place, visit www.pilgrimhousesantiago.com.
The Beacon: How did you find your way from Bushnell to Spain?
I chose to major in interdisciplinary studies so I could combine Spanish, theology, and Christian ministry, though I also took classes in business and accounting. I was involved in mission trips to Nicaragua and Puerto Rico, and studied abroad in Italy, all of which deepened my passion for other cultures and languages. Experiencing the church internationally was a huge part of my spiritual development, and Resident Director Emily Johnston encouraged me to explore opportunities abroad after graduation. I found out about Pilgrim House through Go Corps, a ministry of Avant Ministries, which helps connect Christian college graduates with two-year ministry opportunities abroad.
The Beacon: What is the mission of Pilgrim House and what is your role there?
Travelers walk along the Camino from a week to a couple of months. Pilgrim House is a hospitality ministry at the end of the road, and primarily we provide a resting space in Santiago for pilgrims who are arriving from the Camino, to be received and experience the tangible love of God. We offer a safe place to unpack and process the things they are carrying with them, as well as offer basic hospitality needs.
My specific role is a blend of hospitality and business management. My ministry preparation prepared me for the former, and my business coursework at Bushnell gave me the tools to help Pilgrim House with accounting and daily operations. Of course, most of my work is conducted in Spanish, so my language background has been critical.
The Beacon: Your story is one of togetherness. What does that look like for you in your ministry with individuals who seek respite at Pilgrim House?
This is such a good context for me to see God at work and to see the power of sharing stories together, to be present for another in a way that helps process an experience. The Gospel is healing hope, it is new life, it is peace. Sometimes pilgrims come here for as little as one day, but others plan more margin before they return to their lives at home. But we seek to provide that hope, life, and peace.
Many travelers walk the Camino during a significant point of transition, carrying a specific grief, or needing to make a major life decision. We enter into this space with them—in a spirit of togetherness. We serve them, eat with them, pray with them, and sometime just sit in silence with them. We can encourage them in a way that invites presence, and we celebrate the journey they have just completed, knowing it is sometimes just the beginning. We create a space to honor and welcome them, all while providing some basic physical needs like a place to cook, wash clothes, or send mail.
The Beacon: What was it been like to spend most of the pandemic season in a foreign country?
I moved here a week before Covid hit, so the pandemic has significantly shaped the landscape of my time here. I’ve had to make connections and build community in a very non-traditional way. For example, my Spanish church has been meeting in parks and on Zoom. Additionally, my family has not been able to visit me and, until recently, I was not able to return home for over two years. However, I have had a great team, we have prayer gathering, and I’ve been able to build unique connections in the community despite the restrictions.
The Beacon: What has it been like for you to experience the global Church?
It has been really significant for me to see how the Church manifests itself around the world and has widened my hope for how I see God. Seeing the church’s potential for healing and restoration has invited me into a newfound sense of agency and purpose. It has also been beautiful to see how people enter into their spiritual journey differently. There’s a lot I don’t know about God yet, but what a delight it is to have a whole road before me of seeking Him.
The Beacon: How is has this experience shaped your future and your sense of God’s call on your life?
Being here has really broadened my sense of calling. At Bushnell, I was not interested in psychology or the mental health care world, but my experience at Pilgrim House has made me realize how profound it is to provide a space for someone to release their burdens. There is so much gospel, truly good news, that happens when we sit and listen to one another. There is so much hope that can be found. I now want to become more equipped to provide healing and transformation for people who are hurting, and so I am now exploring a future in clinical counseling.
The Beacon: Can you share with me one story that you will hold on to long after you leave Pilgrim House?
We had a traveler come in who was clearly dealing with anxiety, but she was really interested in joining us for reflective meditation, something we only offer upon request. It’s a meditation based on Psalm 23, and as I was reading Scripture with her, she just cried and then sat in silence. Afterwards, she said that she was met by God for the first time in many years, and that she heard the voice of God inviting her to come back to the church. I didn’t have the perfect explanation for Jesus or the Gospel for her in that moment, but God showed up in that moment of quiet togetherness.
