Walking the Camino Nova Scotia

Sister Maggie walking the Camino Nova Scotia

July 2, 2026, marked my 60th year as a Sister of St. Joseph. Reflecting on the significance of this time, the many blessings and graces, the challenges, rich experiences, the ups and downs of ordinary life, I wanted to experience a different kind of retreat. A friend told me about Camino Nova Scotia. Once I Googled the site, I knew this was exactly what I had on my heart to do. The pilgrimage would be an opportunity for personal growth, and spiritual nourishment, as well as a physical challenge. For me it would involve a willingness to let go of my need for control and surrender to the unfolding of each new day.

Camino Nova Scotia is sponsored by the Atlantic School of Theology. Dr. Rob Fennell, of the Atlantic School of Theology was aware that many people he knew would have loved to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain, but finances, employment, and family responsibilities were often real barriers. Thus, Camino Nova Scotia was born, using trails in beautiful Nova Scotia. After exploring former rail tracks that were now walking trails in the province, four trails were chosen as suitable for a pilgrimage experience.

Sister Maggie training at the Rec Centre

At the beginning of March 2026, I registered to be a pilgrim walking the South Shore from Bedford, Nova Scotia to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. It would be a 6-day experience with 5.5 days of walking. I began training March 18th at our indoor walking track in Hay River, Northwest Territories. When I first started, I could walk only 35 minutes before I needed to stop. Gradually I was able to walk for one hour easily. I did not concentrate on distance but on endurance. I soon realized that as my endurance improved, so did the distance. I trained every second day from March 18th indoors until our snow and ice finally left the first of May. Then I could walk outside!

Listening to my body, especially my arthritic knees, wearing excellent hiking sneakers and Merino wool lightweight socks, eating healthy snacks and drinking sufficient water, kept me in shape to advance my progress. On May 18th I walked my longest distance of 7.5 km in 2.5 hours.

Leaving from Yellowknife

I flew from Yellowknife, NT to Halifax, NS on July 3rd. I was filled with mixed emotions. Joy, expectation, apprehension, excitement, openness, were a bundle of emotions. I was overwhelmed with the support of prayers, encouragement and positive energy from my Sisters in community and friends. I knew I would be okay!

Fellow pilgrims on the journey

Our first day together was July 5th, 2026. 13 pilgrims gathered in Bedford with a supportive team of three. I knew no one. There is a saying that “Strangers are friends we have not met”. How true! The bond that developed among us during the week was amazing.

Each day we were up at 7 am. A healthy breakfast was ready, supplies to make our lunch were laid out, and our sleeping gear and belongings packed and put in the cargo van. At 8:30 we gathered for morning prayer, singing hymns, and a short reflection. Then we went to the trail to begin our walk. That day I managed 14.5 km and the next day 23 km. Usually walking about 6 hours each day, stopping for lunch at our leisure, walking at our own pace, we arrived at our place of rest for the night. We slept in churches along the way. Each evening at 8:30 we gathered for prayer and sharing how our day unfolded. Then lights out at 10 pm.

My camino companion, Victoria

I was by far the slowest walker and Victoria from Ontario walked with me. We had wonderful conversation and sometimes walked in silence. The scenery was beautiful including wildflowers, lakes and rivers, a mother doe and her fawn. One day as we walked, coming down an incline were a group of children from a day home, running and waving at us, big smiles on their faces and full of young energy. This was the last sight we ever thought we would encounter! I must say that the children gave us new energy!

I had decided to walk very intentionally for specific persons in my life who are experiencing challenges of one kind or another in their lives. These folks helped me to walk as I prayed with each step.

Completing the Camino Nova Scotia

Our last evening, Keith, who led the prayer sessions reflected how all week we had been gathering pollen through what we saw, conversations we shared walking, being together at meals and helping each other whether with encouraging words or helping to roll sleeping bags and sleeping mats. Then Keith asked, ”What is the honey that you will make with this pollen as you leave from here?“

And that is the question I take to prayer these days. The experience will stay with me weaving in and out of my prayer, my ministry, and relationships.

-Sister Maggie Beaudette, CSJ

Photo Credits: Maggie Beaudette, Joy Waterbury

Prayer of the Heart - Christian Meditation, Pt.III

Part III in a Series on Meditation and Faith

Father John Main writes “The most important thing to know about meditation is how to meditate”. The why is also important, but first know the how.  The link below, by Paul Demeyer is 9 minutes and gives good information on the practice.

The mantra, maranatha, means Come Lord Jesus.  It is Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke.  When I explained that on one occasion a young student asked, when did Jesus learn English?  A great question from an engaged student which brought a smile to my face.

I think of the mantra as an ego suppressant as it takes the spotlight of consciousness off ourselves. Father Laurence Freeman describes it as a bloodless sacrifice, a dying to self. However, distractions are sure to come, stay calm and focused and return to saying the mantra when you become aware that you are distracted.  Don’t judge your prayer; be faithful to the discipline of the daily practice. Don’t look for success, meditation is an act of faith and even if you think nothing happened during your prayer, persevere. Our job is to show up, what happens during prayer is God’s business - grace. Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, “God wants fidelity not success.”

“what happens during prayer is God’s business”

Contemplation is a process of transformation writes Father Willigis Jager, osb. Over time a contemplative practice awakens in us an awareness of our false self, our shadow, our constructed self.  We become aware of our biases, assumptions, beliefs, and world views that separate us and cause us to react to others in ways that put up barriers.

Image: Unsplash/Dingzeyu Li

Through fidelity in meditation gradually your whole life is changed in your attitudes, and behaviour; a peacefulness that is new moves you to say, ‘Thank you Jesus’ keep it coming.

Amen.

-Sister Ann Marshall, csj

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Sister Ann Marshall works on Christian Meditation in the classroom, in partnership with teachers in the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board.

Image: Unsplash Colton Sturgeon

Grow Through What You Go Through

Easier said than done. Yet, day in, and day out, all of us are gifted with incredible opportunities to grow.  If we dare embrace whatever life presents - even during a difficult pandemic - we will grow through what we go through. If we have the courage, the patience and perseverance, as well as openness to the much-needed grace, we can and will grow through what we go through.  It may not happen in leaps and bounds, but happen it will, even during this pandemic, though we may not recognize the growth instantly but only in hindsight. 

All of us are familiar with sayings such as, “This will either make or break you” or “Bloom where you are planted.” When we find ourselves in difficult situations, such admonitions may be helpful or put our backs up.  While pondering about growth during difficult times, I wondered about creating a sacred space within ourselves where we can discern and choose how to grow through what we are going through during this pandemic instead of letting it break us.  What might this look like if we keep in mind, that we are chosen and appointed “to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last?” (John 15:16)

Hmmm, bloom and bear fruit. That sounds like a tall order, even at the best of times, let alone during this pandemic.  For many of us it may seem highly unlikely that this pandemic would be conducive to growing. If we stay with adages for a moment, such as “The grass is always greener on the other side” might that be true because there is more manure on the other side? If that be the case, we who have been well entrenched ‘on the other side of normal’, should then all be greening, sprouting, and growing as there is plentiful manure on this pandemic side of normal. However, that is not necessarily true, right?

We all know and have experienced, that there is a huge difference between head and heart knowledge.  My mind may take in such words as “This will either make or break you” but what will my heart believe?  During a time like this pandemic, all that might stick in my head might be, “This will break you.”  Yes, like a seed, life breaks us open. Might our hearts be willing to believe though, that difficulties can ‘make us’ and that we can grow? We may all have modest beginnings but through life’s difficulties we can in fact grow into “God’s masterpiece.” (Ephesians 2:10) Just as great oaks from little acorns grow with sufficient sun, rain, and the ‘manure’ of stormy weather, we, too, can grow when we learn to embrace the storms of our lives when we view them with new eyes. Though blasts from our past may aggravate our present pandemic situation, with grace we can weather whatever this pandemic holds for each one of us, even if we’d prefer to avoid these tough situations.

“...find God in all things”

Like our Jesuit brothers, when we have the courage to put aside our preconceived ideas and gain a new perspective, even during these challenging times, surprisingly we just might learn to “find God in all things.” Who knows, out of our difficulties miracles just may sprout. If we dare let go of our illusions, which tend to lead to disillusions, we will gain wisdom, that fertile soil needed to grow through what we are going through. When we no longer cling to our delusions of what life should look like, particularly during this pandemic, no longer holding onto unrealistic expectations, we might surprise ourselves by growing through what we go through.  When we not only face but embrace our reality, even if this pandemic breaks our hearts open evermore, they will surely also be enlarged.

Since I am finishing this reflection on Earth Day, I recall a recent conversation I enjoyed with a wise sage of a woman about pollinators.  What was unusual and fascinating about our conversation, was that she was not telling me about pollinators such as the amazing bees.  No, she spoke eloquently about people being pollinators.  In nature, “Pollination ensures that a plant will produce full-bodied fruit and a full set of viable seeds.” (www.pollinators.org) In the context of this reflection, however, I am pondering the concept of people being pollinators for others. Who are these pollinators, I ask myself, who help me till the inner soil so I can grow, bloom, and “produce full-bodied fruit” in my life and in turn help others seek “greening” in their lives?  In conclusion, then, I would like to invite you to ponder who the pollinators are in your life, particularly during this pandemic. Who is helping you not only to grow through what you daily go through but to bear fruit in great abundance?  On the flip side, for whom are you a caring pollinator?

-Sister Magdalena Vogt, cps