Camino journey leads two women to an even closer friendship and a deeper faith
Benedictine Sister Nicolette Etienne, left, and Peggy Elson—friends for 35 years—walked the Camino together this summer. (Submitted photo)
By John Shaughnessy
(Editor’s note: A record 499,239 pilgrims from all over the world walked the historic Camino pilgrimage route in northern Spain in 2024. The Criterion has invited people from the archdiocese who have made all or part of that pilgrimage to share how that experience has influenced their life and their faith.)
First in an occasional series
It was a way for the two friends to celebrate their relationship of 35 years.
It was also a way for the two friends to go deeper in their faith.
Of course, there are less challenging ways to do both than setting out on a walking journey together of nearly 500 miles over a period of 40 days.
Yet the lure of traveling the Camino de Santiago (The historic Way of St. James pilgrimage route) kept calling to Peggy Elson and Benedictine Sister Nicolette Etienne.
And so this summer, the two educators—who first met as teachers at St. Matthew the Apostle School in Indianapolis in 1990—laced up their hiking shoes for the 488-mile pilgrimage path from St. Jean Pied de Port, France, to the tomb of St. James at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. (Related story: Camino pilgrim opens her diary to share the journey’s challenges and blessings)
“When I asked Sister Nicolette in July of 2023 whether she had ever thought about walking the Camino, I didn’t expect, ‘It’s on my bucket list!’ ” Elson recalls. “I knew that day we were going to Spain. For nearly two years, we met with friends and new friends who had walked the Camino. We read books about the Camino. We viewed YouTube videos about the Camino, and we shopped for supplies in preparation for our departure.”
“On June 1, Peggy and I set out on an amazing journey,” notes Sister Nicolette, a member of the community of Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove. “The opportunity to hike the Camino was an adventure I never dreamed I would one day be able to complete.”
Yet that first day, the dream adventure began with a rough reality.
‘We shared joys, fears, meals and stories’
“The trek up the mountain on day 1 was a lot,” says Elson, a member of Christ the King Parish in Indianapolis. “Sister Nicolette was so patient with me as I was not feeling well. During the first week, I became stronger each day. Thanks to her encouragement, we were good to go the full route by day 4.”
The next 36 days were marked by challenging and uplifting moments that have become memories for a lifetime.
“Meeting so many wonderful pilgrims along the journey was definitely a highlight,” Sister Nicolette says. “As time went on, we tended to be on the same schedule with five other people from various parts of the world. Surprisingly enough, at 63 years old, I was the youngest in our group.”
She enjoyed the many churches they found along the way, savoring the opportunities they provided for rest, meditation, prayer and Mass. She also delighted in finding God in so many moments of nature.
“Breathing the fresh mountain air, seeing the daily sunrise and enjoying the magnificent scenery made giving God the glory the best part of my day,” Sister Nicolette notes.
Elson adds to the memories with her own favorite experiences.
“During our walks, we would pray for our families, friends, students ...” says Elson. “We would pray the rosary, meditate on the mysteries of the rosary, and pray flying novenas [which involve praying the ‘Memorare’ nine times quickly, often for needs that are urgent, followed by a tenth one to the Blessed Mother in thanksgiving.]
“We shared joys, fears, meals and stories with pilgrims from all parts of the world. The shared joys and struggles were reminders that life is a Camino.”
Most of all, they shared how their bond of friendship deepened along the way.
“Peggy is an incredible companion, truly one of the most optimistic people I know,” Sister Nicolette notes. “Whenever I start to get a little cranky, she’s right there with a positive outlook, reminding me of all the blessings we’ve encountered on this pilgrimage.”
Two overall blessings stand out to her.
“Peggy and I were deep into our Camino trek when I realized its incredible significance: It would take exactly 40 days,” Sister Nicolette says. “How I missed that biblical number before is a mystery. The number 40 signifies a period of testing, purification and transformation—all of which we experienced.
“Yet, what never wavered was our 35-year friendship. Though my pace was quicker, we remained constant supports, always watching out for one another. We shared meals, stories, life’s joys and suffering, just as we have for over three decades. We are BFF’s [Best Friends Forever] until life everlasting!”
That same thought about their friendship is shared
by Elson, who is 71 and who retired in 2022 after
45 years of serving the archdiocese in various schools
and educational roles.
Elson says, “After our 40 days of Camino together, Sister Nicolette and I remain, as our fifth graders would say, ‘Best Friends Forever.’ ”
‘The pilgrimage has ended, but the Way continues’
Similar to sustaining a friendship through the years, one great challenge of finishing the Camino is how to make the seeds of that journey continue to grow in the days and years ahead.
After returning to Indiana, Sister Nicolette has continued to make the most of that experience by sharing it with another group of fellow travelers in her life—the middle school students she teaches at Holy Name of Jesus School in Beech Grove.
“Recently, my sixth graders were talking about the mountain leading to heaven,” she says. “We talked about how we are called to carry our crosses daily. Sometimes, we are able to put our crosses down for a time and experience pure joy and relief from the burdens of our daily life.
“I compare my daily cross to the daily backpack I carried on the Camino journey. There were times when the backpack felt heavy and uncomfortable on my shoulders. Other times, I felt joy when I took my backpack off and enjoyed a cup of coffee. It was a relief. It made carrying my backpack easier as I moved along the journey.
“I now share this reflection with my students: We all carry heavy burdens, our daily crosses, some shared and some private. We are called to carry them in union with Jesus, but we are also promised moments of unburdening—moments of relief, friendship and spiritual rest. These times of joy do not negate the cross. Rather, they strengthen us to pick it up again.”
Sister Nicolette shares one more insight she has gained from completing the Camino.
“The 488 miles to Santiago were the physical act of carrying a cross. The moment I reached the destination, however, I understood that the true, lifelong Camino—the intentional, daily choice to accept the burdens and savor the blessings—was just beginning.
“The pilgrimage has ended, but the Way continues.” †
