Fr Steven Rindahl told us he began as an army paratrooper looking for adventure. He served in Iraq and then attended a seminary and became an army chaplin. After 31 years he retired and recalled how hard it was for returning veterans to deal with PTSD or Moral Injury. He realized that a pilgrimage had many healing aspects that could help returning veterans. He told us many stories and described the environment but the most significant information was that the pilgrimage resulted in a 70% improvement in the symptoms suffered by the veterans. He said that both the spiritual and psychological environment helped with the healing. The pilgrimage involved walking 15 to 18 miles a day for a total of 180 miles over 14 days. The pilgrimage path is well known and goes along the Camino trail in Spain. The Warriors on the Way organization is non-profit and is run entirely by volunteer psychologists and administrators. The organization raises about $45,000 per year to cover all the costs for 12 participants. A donation of $3750 will pay for 1 participant. The club was very impressed with Fr Rindahl's presentation and invited him to return. A Youtube video of the lastest pilgrimage can be seen HERE. Readers are encouraged to visit their website (and donate if possible). Click HERE
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