SEATTLE – Inspired by Spain’s iconic Camino de Santiago, local parishioner Jim Russell is organizing an April 8 mini-pilgrimage through Seattle, with several stops to pray the Stations of the Cross.

“Some of us here feel like it’s an underappreciated devotion,” Russell said of the Stations, which commemorate Jesus’ passion and death.

The Stations are a popular devotion for pilgrims along the 500-mile Camino (known as the Way of St. James), said Russell, a member of St. John the Evangelist Parish in north Seattle. The Camino begins in the Spanish Pyrenees, ending at Spain’s Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, considered the burial site of St. James.

Pilgrims here will be covering nearly 10 miles — about 4.5 miles by foot and the rest by Metro bus — a route that will take an afternoon to complete, Russell said. No support vehicles are planned, so participants are encouraged to make sure they can walk that distance before committing to making the pilgrimage.

The event (happening the day before Palm Sunday) begins with a hot lunch at 11:30 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist before pilgrims embark on their journey to seven parishes from north Seattle to Capitol Hill. At each church, they will stop and pray two stations, then travel to the next church. Parishes on the pilgrimage include Blessed Sacrament, St. Patrick, St. Joseph and Immaculate Conception, plus the Chapel of St. Ignatius at Seattle University.

The pilgrimage will conclude with the final two stations at St. James Cathedral, where pilgrims can attend the 5:30 p.m. vigil Mass. (See box for full schedule.)

The route passes four Catholic high schools and several Catholic elementary schools, so Russell hopes students at those schools will join the pilgrimage. So far, less than two-dozen people have signed up, but Russell is hopeful more will sign up as the date nears.

“We hope this is popular enough that it becomes an annual event,” he said.

Sign up for the Camino de Santiago mini-pilgrimage.

Seattle Camino de Santiago

The Seattle Camino de Santiago mini-pilgrimage begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 8, with a hot lunch at St. John the Evangelist Church, 121 N. 80th St., Seattle. Pilgrims will cover 4.5 miles by foot and about 5 miles via Metro bus, with stops to pray two Stations of the Cross at each of the following churches: 12:15 p.m. — The first two stations prayed at St. John the Evangelist. 1:15 p.m. — Blessed Sacrament Church, 5050 50th Ave. N.E. 2:05 p.m. — St. Patrick Church, 2702 Broadway E. 3 p.m. — St. Joseph Church, 732 18th Ave. E. 3:45 p.m. — Immaculate Conception Church, 820 18th Ave. 4:20 p.m. — St. Ignatius Chapel, Seattle University, 901 12th Ave. 4:50 p.m. — St. James Cathedral, 804 Ninth Ave. 5:30 p.m. — Optional vigil Mass at the cathedral View complete directions