THE PILGRIMS’ TABLE
Joined by fate for a memorable dinner, five pilgrims recall their emotional journeys along Spain’s Camino de Santiago. Powerful and moving, The Pilgrims’ Table is a touching look at the transformational power of pilgrimage.
Having begun the meal as strangers, the five shared knowing glances as the last plates were cleared. Tomorrow would see them setting off separately but – for tonight – they were one pilgrim family. Different paths had brought them across Spain to Chez Mer, yet their journies had a collective familiarity. Matthieu stepped back into the room and broke the long silence with a toast, “My friends, thank you for being in my house tonight. As pilgrims, we walk alone at times… but we are never alone. We are always together. Your journey is your own but pilgrimage… it is ours, together. We are the pilgrims. You have touched my heart with your stories tonight. I wish you a safe passage, a blessed journey, and a Buen Camino.” They stood and hugged one another before making their way to bed.
Matthieu carried the glasses to the sink and gazed out upon the stars dancing on the ocean’s waves from the small kitchen’s lone window. Goodbyes were always the hardest. These pilgrims had experienced much and their stories brought back memories of his past journeys. He picked up the small stone resting on the window sill and gazed out at the moon.
“Buen Camino, pilgrims,” he said with a smile. “Yes. Yes. Buen Camino.”
“The Pilgrims’ Table is a love letter to the Camino. It transports you back and makes you long to be walking the Way.”
Sean Paul, Director, UCLA Corporation
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Kevin Donahue
Husband. Father. Backpacker. Pilgrim.
Kevin Donahue began walking pilgrimage routes in 2019, joining the footprints of pilgrims seeking places and people to inspire questions and enlighten answers about faith, hope, and love. His passion for these historic footpaths and reflections from his journeys form the basis for his first book, Sacred Steps: A Pilgrimage Journal.
In his second book, The Pilgrims’ Table, Donahue takes on the role of storyteller, blending tales from pilgrims with his own experiences along the Camino de Santiago and Via Francigena. Drawn from authentic experiences, The Pilgrims’ Table is a heartfelt look at the transformational power of pilgrimage as seen through the eyes of five pilgrims from across the world, who find themselves joined together for one memorable dinner.
When he’s not on pilgrimage, Kevin hosts the Sacred Steps Podcast, streaming on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or your preferred podcast app.
Books by Kevin Donahue
At the crossroads of history and faith, a reluctant pilgrim embarks on a modern pilgrimage along the world’s most revered footpaths. Tracing history’s footsteps, his experiences inspire questions and enlighten answers to the eternal questions of faith, hope, and love.
