Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2026

Take your soul for a stroll

The University of Notre Dame Australia invites expressions of interest from all full-time staff — academic and professional — who would like to participate in the University’s staff formation pilgrimage walking the Camino Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

The pilgrimage

The pilgrimage involves walking the final 225 km of the Camino Francés from 23 June to 6 July, joining a UNDA group of staff and students led by Fr Eamonn Conway as well as members of the Chaplaincy Team.

A limited number of bursaries are available to eligible staff to support participation. These are being made available under the auspices of the University’s Staff Formation initiatives and will help defray the costs of participation. Five of these will be reserved, in the first instance, for staff who have been employed at UNDA for ten years or more.

Staff will be expected to:

• Participate in the Camino de Santiago by walking distances of between 15k to 24km each day for 13 days
• Participate in Formation activities before and during the pilgrimage.

Upon return, staff will have the opportunity to contribute to ongoing staff formation activities within the University.

All University staff, academic and professional, are encouraged to recommend fellow staff members who may be strong candidates to apply.

Dates: 23 June 2026 – 6 July 2026

Pilgrimage schedule

Important information

• When is the pilgrimage?

  Dates: 23 June – 6 July 2026

  Leading up to the pilgrimage, you will attend a series of mandatory online and in-person workshops to prepare you holistically for your pilgrimage.

• Eligibility requirements

  To be eligible for the Camino de Santiago experience, you must meet the following requirements:

  • A current full-time staff member with at least one year of full-time service at UNDA
  • At least 18 years of age
  • Possession of a valid passport that covers both the duration of the Pilgrimage and six months after your return from Spain
  • *Please be advised that participants will be expected to walk at approximately 20km a day across consecutive days over a week, as part of this experience.

  Five bursaries are available, in the first instance to staff who have a minimum of 10 years continuing full-time employment.

• Fees and costs

  Selected pilgrims will receive a travel bursary of $5000.

  $3,745 of the bursary will be allocated to cover accommodation per person for 13 nights. A single room (where available) may be requested for a supplement of $1300 AUD.

  The remaining balance will be allocated to assist staff in booking their own:

  • Airfares
  • Travel insurance
  • Lunches and dinners

Application process

Applications open 24 March 2026 and close 11:00pm (AEST), Sunday 5 April 2026.

As part of the application process, you may be contacted for an interview at a date to be determined. You may also request a personal briefing by contacting Chaplaincy.

Successful applicants will be contacted from Tuesday, 14 April.

Please do not book your flight or accommodation unless you have received confirmation of your bursary.

Apply now

Pre-Pilgrimage Requirements

Successful applicants will need to be available for a whole team online briefing on 15 April, Sydney - 1.30pm (AEST) and Fremantle 10:30am (AWST) and any subsequent briefings. These will provide both practical guidance and spiritual and theological orientation to the pilgrimage. Individuals are also encouraged to prepare themselves by undertaking daily walks and occasional longer hikes.

Evidence of purchased plane tickets must be provided to the University no later than 4 May and a copy of personal travel insurance that covers hospitalisation/evacuation for the duration of your travel must be provided to the University no later than 15 May. Evidence is to be sent to formation@nd.edu.au.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this pilgrimage or the application process, please don’t hesitate to contact us at formation@nd.edu.au.