Bishop James Conley, Bishop James Wall and Archbishop Paul Coakley recently traveled to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago.

The bishops trekked every day for three weeks during the summer.

"During my recent #pilgrimage on the Camino in #Spain with two #bishops - friends, we walked 15 to 24 miles a day, just as pilgrims have been doing on the #camino for more than 1,000 years,” Conley tweeted of the experience.

El Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage with ancient roots, its website said. It trails across the northern part of Spain and ends at the Cathedral of St. James the Greater, or Santiago de Compostela, the tomb of St. James. There are many different routes pilgrims can take, and it is popular year-round.

The origin of El Camino goes back to the ninth century, the website said. Sometimes called "the way,” the pilgrimage originated from Christians around the world walking to see the tomb of St. James, as it was discovered in Spain. El Camino has become a tourist destination, but the website notes that "the route has gained its prestige thanks to its spiritual value."

Conley, of the Diocese of Lincoln, was joined by Wall (Diocese of Gallup) and Coakley (Diocese of Oklahoma City). They made the pilgrimage in the middle section of the Camion this past summer.

The bishops brought hiking gear and a "simple Mass kit,” the Southern Nebraska Register said. Every evening they celebrated Mass for the pilgrims traveling along El Camino. 

Conley noted that he embarked on his journey with a personal intention because he had struggled with anxiety and depression in the past.

“I thought this would be a great opportunity to offer it in thanksgiving, in gratitude to God for getting me through kind of a difficult time in my life,” he said in the Register report. 

He further reflected on its purpose.

”The central idea of a pilgrimage is the fact that a pilgrimage is a metaphor for life,” Conley said in a letter published on the Register. “We are all pilgrims on this earth, making our way to heaven. We have no lasting home here on earth. We are always ‘on the way.’ And in the end, we can’t take anything with us."

He added that time slows; and pilgrims are reminded of the beauty of nature, of those around them and of their own spiritual journey.

Conley, Wall and Coakley made a video in which they spoke with Jonathan Liedl of the National Catholic Register about their journey.

"It's very much like a retreat because a lot of the time you're walking in silence,” Wall said. “We prayed the Office while we're walking or pray the rosary.”