The priests have their parish near the National Cemetery and the Pentagon
13 oct 2026 . Actualizado a las 21:56 h.The venerable stone walls of the Poio monastery echoed in English during a Mass celebrated by two American priests who, along with several parishioners, completed the Spiritual Variant pilgrimage to Santiago from Arlington, one of the most nationally prestigious cities in the United States.
Poio's Tourism Councilor, Rocío Cochón, explained that they were Fathers David Dufresne and Philip Brigg, from the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, the city that is home to iconic institutions such as the Pentagon, the National Cemetery, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, among others. The two priests officiated the Mass in the language of Shakespeare to a congregation made up of six people from Virginia who were accompanying them on their Camino route, along with another group traveling the same itinerary who hailed from the state of Maryland. In total, 20 people.
Father David Dufresne, vicar of Saint Charles Parish, was already familiar with Poio. He first visited in 2022 with a group of 35 American pilgrims. «We took this route back then because we had done the French Way the year before and many people wanted to return to Santiago, but we wanted something different», he explains. That was when the province of Pontevedra gained importance. «Obviously, the Portuguese Way is the second most popular and offers very suitable lodging. I chose the Coastal and Spiritual Variants so we could be more connected to Saint James and follow his journey to his final resting place in Compostela».
On this occasion, Father Dufresne was again in charge of designing the itinerary for what is a pilgrimage in the strict sense—meaning religious motives were the driving force behind their expedition. «Attending Mass every day is a central part of our pilgrimage. We couldn't have Mass in Redondela in the morning and we couldn't disrupt the sisters' routine in Armenteira, so Poio was the logical solution, being halfway through that day's trek».
A route to Armenteira
Their experience at the monastery church did not disappoint. «Physically, emotionally, and spiritually, it gave us strength and rejuvenated us to make the walk to Armenteira», he shares. Located next to the monastery is the Town Hall, and during their stay in the area, the Tourism Councilor stopped by to greet them—a meeting the American priest described as an «unexpected surprise» owing to her kindness and recommendations on where to stop for lunch.
Dufresne serves as a priest at Saint Charles in Arlington. «We are the youngest and most urban parish in our diocese. Most of my responsibilities involve administering the sacraments and preparing the faithful to receive them», he clarifies. «Arlington National Cemetery is within our parish boundaries, but it is served by the Archdiocese for the Military Services. The Pentagon is right next to our parish», he notes. The priest points out that many of his parishioners are young adults.
The trip to Galicia also brought a few unforeseen surprises. For instance, one of the pilgrims in the group discovered that one of her grandfathers was from Galicia. «Now the family is doing genealogical research to see if they can find out which town he was from, and she hopes to return to visit it».
For Dufresne, the Spiritual Variant is «unique», and even more so on this occasion. «Normally, I guide a group from my parish or personal friends. These were all people who had experienced trauma in their past, and being on the Camino was a way to support them in their healing process».