New Camino de San Francisco lets pilgrims walk in St. Francis' footsteps

The Camino de San Francisco pilgrimage route has been established to honor St. Francis of Assisi during the Jubilee Year of St. Francis. The 24.56 mile route uses streets, paths, and trails to connect Mission San Rafael Arcángel to Mission Dolores in San Francisco.

Father Christopher Iwancio, a Capuchin Franciscan friar and executive director of Modern Catholic Pilgrim, conceived the route after walking the El Camino de San Antonio Missions. He noted how the San Antonio mission route partners with Spain's Camino de Santiago de Compostela by allowing pilgrims to earn credit toward the Camino Ingles through mission stamps. Iwancio developed the California route alongside historian and author Christian Clifford.

The journey is divided into four segments to allow pilgrims to choose their walking distance. Modern Catholic Pilgrim works to prepare travelers for holy sites in the United States and manage a hospitality network for those on pilgrimage.