By Sameh Tanios, CLC in Egypt (original in English)

I joined CLC around the year 1993. My first prayer walk also took place that same year, in the desert of Sinai, following in the footsteps of Moses. It was organized by a Jesuit priest from Holland, Fr. Hans Putmann SJ.

At first, I simply wanted to explore this new and mysterious place. The summer heat and the mountain climbs made it a real challenge. We walked in silence, each carrying a passage from the Bible to meditate on. It was a profound opportunity to encounter God in the desert, sleeping under the stars, what we called “a thousand-star hotel.”.

During that week, we climbed three mountains: Mount Saint Catherine, Mount Moses, and Mount Serbal. It was physically demanding, but as a group, we formed a deep bond. Praying in the desert and on the mountains was a completely new experience for me, one that deeply touched my heart.

My second pilgrimage was in France, in July 2015. It was a Franco-Egyptian-Lebanese walk, the same year Pope Francis published his encyclical Laudato Si’ in June. I had already read it before traveling, and it greatly influenced my experience.

Walking in the rainy forests of France was not easy for an Egyptian! But I was deeply moved by the daily readings and the group sharings within the CLC community. I felt my pilgrim journey becoming more mature, enriched by the diversity of cultures and perspectives.

This helped me to discover the global Ignatian spirituality that unites all members of CLC, and to find God in everything, especially in nature and in all of creation.
This journey has changed me profoundly. I am now part of the CLC International Ecology Apostolic Team, an international network that meets online to share what is happening in each region from an ecological perspective.

I have also taken part in online formation through the Laudato Si’ Movement (LSM), and I am now a member of the international LSM community.
Each year, I help prepare a four-day Ecological Silent Retreat, a space that welcomes people of different faiths — Christians and Muslims — to come together through the lens of ecology. It has become a platform to experience how caring for creation can unite us beyond our differences.

Conclusion

A CLC pilgrimage is a journey that takes time to deepen. It is an experience of discovering and touching God in all things, in silence, guided by the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

With the support of my local group and the international CLC community, I continue to seek ways to express my love for God and to give Him glory through all His creation.