Canon Nancy Hoxsie Mead, President
After reading an article the July 1996, issue of Gourmet Magazine about the Camino de Santiago, I knew one day I would walk it. When I began my first pilgrimage from St Jean Pied de Port in April of 2000, I did not know how much this walk would change my life. I never imagined this pilgrimage would lead me to take nearly annual month -long treks in Spain and across Europe. Over the past 22 years I have walked over 6,000 pilgrimage miles. I have walked many routes but return over and over to the Camino de Santiago, my first love.
I walk not to collect miles and routes, but to learn and relearn the lessons I learned on my first trek across Spain. I walk to see again and again the beauty in God’s world and the goodness in his people. I walk to be renewed and refreshed. Each time I am ministered to by God ‘angels. Some are my fellow pilgrims: others are folks who welcome me, the stranger, with generosity, hospitality and kindness.
I joined the Friends of the Anglican Pilgrim Centre in Santiago as a way of giving back for the many blessings I have received from my time on the Camino. I was inspired by the good work of Bishop Carlos Lopez Lozano and the Spanish Episcopal Church of Spain. His goal of creating an ecumenical centre to offer ministry and hospitality to pilgrims of all religions and no religion, resonated with me. In a small way, I could offer help and hospitality to future pilgrims who continue to walk this transformational pilgrimage.
I am honored to be the President of the Friends of the Anglican Centre in Santiago de Compostela and a Canon of the Spanish Episcopal Cathedral in Madrid. I am excited to be part of a board who shares the mission of the Anglican Pilgrim Centre, and I look forward to welcoming future pilgrims and sharing with them my love of the Camino de Santiago.
My caminos (so far):
2000- Camino Français- St Jean to Santiago- 778 km
2001- Gibraltar to Granada to Cordoba- bushwack route/ part Camino 630km
2002- Ben Nevis and Scotland- 420k
2003- Camino Arlés-970km
2004-Via de la plata-1000km
2005-Pilgrims Way to Canterbury-123kn
2006 -RI Coast to Coast -160km
2007- Coast to Coast Britain- 309 km
208- Via Francigina- Canterbury to Besonçon -760km
2009 -Via Francigina – Besonçon to Aosta- 470kn
2010- Via Franconia-Aosta to Rome-942km
2011Via Francigina del Sud-Rome to Monte St. Angelo- 437km
2012 Via Francigina del Sud-Monte St. Angelo to Bari-389km
2013 Via Francigina del Sud -Bari to Santa Maria de Leuca-441km
2014- St Cuthberts Way -100km
2015-Coast 2 Coast Italy- 400km
2016- Sicily trek- 650 km
2017- Camino del Norte- 830km
2018- Portuguese fromTui-120km
2019- Norte and Picos de Europa 400km
2019- Sarria to Santiago- 114
2022- Portuguese Route from Tui- 120- September-2022
Nancy lives in Narragansett, Rhode Island. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island with degrees in French and Art. Married to an Episcopal Priest for 50 years, she is the mother of two children and grandmother of four. After dual careers in fashion and the floral industry, she walked her first Camino to celebrate her 50th birthday.