A modern day pilgrimage: walking to Cuatro Vientos

July 21 – In the middle ages men and women of faith who travelled to the Holy Land to see the sites of Jesus' life marked themselves with tattoos to show that they had made the voyage. With the advent of modern means of transportation, today the only obstacle to making such a voyage is the cost. Perhaps then, it's time to re-capture the value of pilgrimage: a journey that leaves room for prayer and the action of the Holy Spirit.

Instead of crossing an ocean, World Youth Day pilgrims will have a chance to spend a day making a pilgrimage across Madrid to get the Cuatro Vientos Air Base where the Prayer Vigil and Closing Mass will be held August 20 and 21. The pilgrimage route begins in downtown Madrid, at Principe Pio Station and runs through parks and green spaces all the way to Cuatro Vientos.

According to Alejandro Chico of the WYD Logistics Depatment, the route was purposely planned to run through parks because it's cooler than walking along city streets and thus easier to turn a walk into an experience.

If pilgrims are having a difficult time with the heat and just can't fathom the idea of walking the full eight kilometeres, there are two points at which the route intesects with public transportation. Laguna Station is about halfway through the route. Both Metro (“Circular” line number 6) and Cercanias commuter rail stop at Laguna. Meanwhile, Aluche station is a 20 minute walk from Cuatro Vientos and both the “Casa de Campo” metro line and Cercanias stop at Aluche. The station is also a major hub for buses that service the city and the outlying suburban areas. On August 20 a shuttle bus service will run from Aluche to Cuatro Vientos approximately every five minutes.