The University of Navarra’s summer program for seminarians offers a distinctive complement to your formation towards the priesthood.
The experience of pilgrimage to Santiago and engagement with the lives and teachings of prominent Spanish saints provides you with an opportunity for spiritual renewal. This is further enhanced by an intensive language course aimed at improving their oral and written communication skills for successful pastoral work with Spanish-speaking communities.
The Camino Program of the School of Theology at the University of Navarra is designed as an ideal extension to seminary formation.
Specially tailored for diocesan seminarians, the program integrates three elements of special interest for your future priestly life and ministry.
Language Courses
An intensive Spanish course for full immersion or advancing to the next level.
Footprints of the Spanish Saints
A deepening in the theology and teachings of the great Spanish saints.
Pilgrimage to Santiago
The spiritual experience of participating in the 1200-years history of pilgrimage to Santiago.
Walking the Camino de Santiago will give you a unique spiritual experience of pilgrimage. By visiting the landmarks of the Catholic tradition in Spain, you will find yourself face-to-face with the inspiring lives and teachings of saints including St. Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and St. Josemaria, among others.
With the Intensive Spanish Language Course, seminarians will enhance oral and writting communication skills, enhancing in their future apostolate and pastoral work with multicultural communities.
Audience
The Camino Program is specifically designed for seminarians from U.S. dioceses, offering a unique opportunity for growth, formation, and intentional fraternal life.
The spiritual experience of pilgrimage with the Camino de Santiago and the prayerful encounter with the Spanish saints who have nurtured the Catholic Church serve as sources of inspiration for seminarians, enriching their spiritual lives and contributing to their theological and spiritual formation for the priesthood.
Participants seek to learn or improve their Spanish language skills to better qualify them for pastoral work with multicultural communities.
Program
The following program is subject to changes based on the needs of the course and other possible conditions.
May 30, 2026
Saturday
USA
Depart for Pamplona.
May 31, 2026
Sunday
PAMPLONA
Arrive in Pamplona.
June 1 - June 19, 2026
Monday-Friday
UNIVERSITY OF NAVARRA
3 weeks of intensive Spanish Language Course.
June 5 - June 7, 2026
Friday-Sunday
LOURDES-TORRECIUDAD-EL PILAR
Pilgrimage to the Shrines of Lourdes (France) and Torreciudad (Huesca), and the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza.
June 12 - June 14, 2026
Friday-Sunday
BARCELONA-SAGRADA FAMILIA
Pilgrimage to the Sagrada Familia Basilica (Barcelona).
June 20 - June 25, 2026
Saturday-Thursday
CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
Walk several stages of the Camino de Santiago.
June 26 - June 27, 2026
Friday-Saturday
MADRID-ÁVILA-SEGOVIA
June 28, 2026
Friday
MADRID-USA
Return to USA.
Activities
Camino de Santiago
Participants will walk along the Camino Francés, making their way through emblematic pilgrim villages, while praying together in monasteries, and churches that have welcomed pilgrims for over a millennium. Each seminarian will receive the Compostela certificate from the Santiago Cathedral Chapter.
Intensive Spanish Language Program at the University of Navarra
An intensive three-week Spanish course by ILCE at the University of Navarra, featuring four daily classes (Mon-Fri) matched to participants' proficiency levels, determined by a pre-test. With small groups (5–10 students), it offers personalized learning and an official certificate for credits.
Weekly co-curricular activities
Cultural and spiritual visits to distinctive places: Lourdes, Torreciudad, Zaragoza, the birthplaces of St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier, and historic cities like Ávila or Segovia. Lectures from University of Navarra professors will highlight the sites’ historical, cultural, and spiritual significance.
Housing and fees
Housing and full board:
The program provides lodging and meals at the residences, affiliated to the School of Theology of the University of Navarra. Participants will benefit from an intentional fraternal community life.
Tuition & Fees:
The fee for the program will shortly be announced. It includes tuition, Transportation in Spain, single occupancy room and board, academic and honorarium fees, basic travel health insurance (see conditions of the reimbursement policy here) and entry fees to museums and historical sites.
The following are not included: airfare to/from Madrid, personal expenses, and personal/optional activities outside of the program.
Payment method:
Payment will be made directly after completing the registration form on the online application web page.
Application
Application deadline:
Applications for the program must be received on Monday, March 30, 2026.
How to apply:
The application process includes:
1. Fill in the application form.
2. Upon receipt of the application form, our Program Coordinator will contact the applicant via email to request the necessary documents:
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A current color photograph of yourself (passport quality)
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A copy of your passport
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Signature of approval and letter of recommendation from your vocation director (in case of younger priests: Letter of Suitability and Signature of approval and letter of recommendation from your Bishop or Vicar for Clergy)
3. The Program Coordinator will confirm the acceptance into the Camino Program.
Contact
Program Director
Rev. Miguel Brugarolas
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology
mbrugarolas@unav.es
Program Coordinator
Rev. Alejandro Vázquez-Dodero
Development Director, School of Theology
avazquezdod@unav.es
School of Theology
University of Navarra
31009 Pamplona - Navarra. Spain
Tel. +34 948 42 56 00 ext. 802611