THE PILGRIM

“I was born in S. Miguel 67 years ago. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40, I wasn’t afraid. I was worried when my husband was diagnosed with cancer. Not even the fact that I was a nurse helped me with the pain. In a few months, I lost my friend, my companion, and the support of my entire life.

No one can replace a love like that, but I find some compensation in my two children and a granddaughter who is now one of my greatest reasons for living: a lovely girl with whom I share many moments of joy and companionship.

As I am not one to give in to sadness, I try to fill my time as much as possible. Every day I swim in the sea, attend the Senior University, and do yoga and Pilates. One day a week, I volunteer at “Zero Waste,” which collects and distributes food to needy families. I also organize weekly hikes on the island of São Miguel, as well as occasionally on other islands in the Azores. I have climbed the island of Pico twice, which is no easy feat. But what is easy has no flavor!

During Lent, which has just begun, I go on a pilgrimage, a custom that originated on the island of São Miguel. I also belong to an ecological association called “Amigos dos Açores” (Friends of the Azores), which carries out various environmental conservation activities. I only feel alive when I’m active!

However, of all the things I do, what fulfills me most are the Caminhos de Santiago (Way of St. James), which I have been walking twice a year since 2008. As I am consistently reliable, I serve as the Azorean representative of the Associação Espaço Jacobeus, which advises, supports, and issues credentials to other pilgrims who walk the Caminhos de Santiago.

Age does not slow me down, and even the most challenging route, about 800 km in 33 days, was completed in 2024, with only two friends as companions. I don’t need anything else.

The path is essentially solitary, introspective, meditative, and prayerful. However, it is also composed of faith, love, hope, and an awakening of emotions, as well as mutual support among pilgrims. The path teaches us a lot, starting with the fact that life can be lived with only the essentials.

When I finally arrive at that magnificent cathedral, I am moved to find the beginning of the true path of life. In that moment of joy, I make a resolution. I will return!”

Written by Maria Cruz

https://www.facebook.com/nosnosoutros

Welcome to Stories from the Azores: Lives Between Oceans, a living archive of voices shaped by insularity, the sea, and survival. These stories honor men and women who left, returned, or remained, carrying with them the courage to face uncertainty and the resilience to endure hardship. Each tale is rooted in the volcanic soil of the Azores, where identity is forged in wind and salt, and yet reaches beyond the islands, across oceans and generations. Together, they form a mosaic of endurance and belonging, reminding us that to live between oceans is to embody strength, stubbornness, and hope. We thank the Nós nos Outros project for allowing us to share these stories with the Azorean Diaspora and the American and Canadian communities.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.