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The Deerfield Valley Pilgrimage Experience,
through the eyes of a walker, or
"Bunyan's Progress"
(A Story)
Wilmington, VT, August 8, 2025
Dear Friends,
When we first aired the idea of a pilgrimage in the Deerfield Valley, the most enthusiastic response was from people who had been on a pilgrimage before. (We were surprised by how many local people had been on Spain's ancient pilgrimage the Camino de Santiago.) Most of us have not taken a trek like this before, so it would probably be worthwhile to take a few minutes to describe what it is like to participate in the Deerfield Valley Pilgrimage Walk. I’ll do this by telling the story of a walker.
Let's try to imagine the experience of an imaginary Philadelphia woman named Bunyan, who is reasonably energetic but not particularly athletic. She decided to try a pilgrimage after she saw the movie The Way, in which the lead character Tom decided to complete the 520-mile walk on the Camino that had been begun by his estranged son who had died en route. Tom had come to collect his son’s ashes and he wanted to spread them along the route. That decision changed Tom’s life. Bunyan also heard an interview with the author of the book on which the movie was based, John Hitt, who said people go on a pilgrimage to find “that great empty, quiet inner space.” Bunyan thought that this weekend walk in a beautiful valley to a sacred place might help her find the empty inner space and give her some time to think about her mother, who had died the previous summer.
A couple of friends agreed to accompany her, but they backed out. It turned out that this didn't matter much because she quickly found new congenial companions on the pilgrimage.
The Day Before the Pilgrimage (Friday)
Bunyan drove to Wilmington, Vermont on Friday afternoon and checked in at the White House Inn. (She could have stayed at one of many inns, motels, and bed & breakfasts in Wilmington and West Dover listed on the pilgrimage website, but she had read somewhere that this inn had an interesting history, so she chose it despite the higher cost. Other people chose to camp in one of the state parks or stay at the Ephesus Conference Center, or a different inn or B&B in the area.
The Friday arrivals and many local walkers and volunteers gathered at a local restaurant that overlooks the North Branch of the Deerfield River at five. Bunyan was soon engaged in conversation about the town, the valley, and the walk with a number of fascinating people as they watched the sun setting over the river. The gathering started to break up at seven and she went back to the inn, which has a commanding view of the valley and town.
Day 1 (Saturday)
The next morning the rising sun shone through partly cloudy skies. The weather forecast was iffy but the morning looked good. Bunyan drove the short distance to OSEC (The Old School Enrichment Center, or simply “The Old School" to those in the know) where the walkers gathered to register.
She registered and received a map and other information, a wooden maple leaf on a neck cord, and a disposable rain poncho, which she hoped she wouldn’t need. Coffee, water and donuts were available. The walkers and volunteers formed a Great Circle outside OSEC and were greeted by Dick Ward, a trustee of the pilgrimage and, at 86, the doyen of the walk. (It later turned out that he was not the oldest person making the trek!) A retired high school teacher who had led several generations of local high school students to Spain to walk the Camino explained the “Ceremony of the Stones.” This is a tradition, borrowed from the Camino, by which each walker can, if he or she wishes, pick up a little stone along the route to represent a hope, a sorrow or a memory to reflect upon while walking. The stones would be left at the Ephesus House at the end of the walk. Bunyan found one that morning and dedicated it to the memory of her mother.
The organizers explained at the Great Circle that trail guides would accompany the walkers to provide guidance and to answer questions. (Volunteers were the ones wearing red hats.) Automobiles would also be along the route should walkers find they needed a lift to the next rest stop or back to their lodgings because of fatigue or other problems. Bunyan was glad to know this as she was worried about one of her feet and was reassured that she would be able to take a break or skip a segment without dropping out completely. There was also an EMT car that would parallel the route. Bunyan was excited. “This is going to be an adventure,” she thought.
The first day followed the Valley Trail, which is a well-marked path through the woods. The morning was a pleasant one, and the threatened rain did not materialize. During the walk they encountered water and snack stops, manned by volunteers. There were also points where a few cars waited to give rides to those who needed them. One of the walkers whose shoes didn't feel quite right took a car to the lunch spot up ahead, a beautiful spot by a pond near the gate of the Hermitage Club, a private ski resort. Sanitary facilities were also provided. Although each walker had been asked to bring his or her own lunch, there was a table of sandwich makings, granola bars, and bananas for everyone. The break lasted about 45 minutes, during which a professor of environmental studies gave a talk about how a pilgrimage can enhance our relationship with nature. Bunyan remarked to herself that the very relaxed pace of about 2 miles an hour lent itself to enjoying nature and reflecting, and made the morning's six miles seem easier than she expected.
In the afternoon, the walkers followed the portion of the trail maintained by the Town of Dover, which led through “Sherwood Forest,” past a big beaver pond, where there was another refreshment and transportation stop, and eventually ended up around 4:30 in the charming town of West Dover, which is mostly a single street (Vermont Route 100) with a couple of quaint inns, some shops, the historical society, and the town offices.
The most prominent feature of the town is the West Dover Congregational Church, where the ladies of the “Loose Knit Group,” a service organization, were preparing a lasagna dinner for the walkers. (Vegetarian options were available.) Bunyan and a couple she had met on the walk availed themselves of the presence of the inns nearby (one is next to the church) to enjoy some white wine and oysters before dinner. At five, they went to the church to enjoy the warm hospitality of the ladies, who recounted the interesting history of their congregation, dating from colonial days, telling about some of the famous people who were life-long members, including Theodore Roosevelt's mother-in-law. (The Roosevelts had a summer home nearby and were regular attendees at summer services.)
After dinner, Mary Tarinelli gave a talk about the group's ultimate destination on Day 2, the replica of St. Mary's (Jesus’ mother’s) house in Ephesus, Turkey. The story goes as follows: Several years after the Crucifixion when the persecution of Christians in Jerusalem had become a danger, the Apostle John took Jesus's mother to the large Christian community in the Greco-Roman city of Ephesus in Asia Minor for greater safety and built a stone house where she spent the last eighteen or so years of her life. In the 1960s, Mrs. Tarinelli's mother Elizabeth Fraser visited the house in Turkey and experienced a miracle. Decades later, Mary and Don Tarinelli, in fulfillment of a vow, built an exact replica of Mary's House in the woods of Vermont and added a conference center with rudimentary overnight accommodations nearby on a hill with stunning views of the mountains. The Vermont version of the Ephesus house, which is called Our Lady of Ephesus House of Prayer, is now managed by a Catholic order based in India.
After the presentation, the cars and drivers took the walkers to their lodgings and Bunyan returned to the White House Inn for a much appreciated night's rest. Not much of a walker, she was tired and a little stiff but surprised at how well the first day had gone.
Day 2 (Sunday)
The next day, Sunday, provided beautiful fall weather. The leaves had already begun to turn and the hills were resplendent, with areas of bright red and yellow. The starting point for Day 2 was at the Dover Library, which sits on a hilltop. One of the vans had coffee and donuts, and there was time to talk and reflect. Before starting off, they formed a Great Circle in the parking lot and the pilgrimage's chaplain, an Episcopalian priest, led a brief "body prayer" before the walkers set out. A fellow walker remarked to Bunyon that she was pleased to see so many different denominations actively involved: Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and “Nones” sharing the camaraderie and the beauty of nature. There was more socializing along the route than she expected, but one of the walkers wore a “silent" button and the stretches of the walk marked “Silent Zone" provided time for solitary reflection.
The second day's route followed dirt roads and country lanes. There were beautiful views of the mountains and encounters with groups of curious cows and horses. A few backup cars with water and lifts for the weary followed at a discrete distance. There was also a “forest bathing" break a couple of miles from the start. (Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature to promote physical and mental well-being. It involves slowly walking, sitting, or engaging senses—observing sights, listening to sounds, smelling scents, and feeling textures. This practice is gaining popularity in Vermont.)
At Sunrise Farm on Jockey Hollow Road, the owners provided gracious hospitality for a midmorning refreshment break and offered the use of their clean outhouse.
Just as they were approaching South Wardsboro, Bunyan saw a sign saying “Visit the Garden" with an arrow pointing to a path alongside a cottage. She and some others went in and discovered something completely unexpected: a series of English gardens, all magnificently maintained and artfully decorated. The owner showed them around and explained that for decades he had spent his summers developing this remarkable site.
The walkers then stopped by the Congregational Church in the tiny village of South Wardsboro, a short distance beyond the garden, for lunch. Most brought their midday meal with them, but if they didn't, the hospitality provided by the church members was more than sufficient. A member of this small congregation, perhaps eight in total membership, recounted the history of the church, which was built in the late 1700s. It has no running water, no heat, but does have a well-maintained outhouse.
The next stop was Wardsboro, a town best known in Vermont for two big events, the Gilfeather Turnip Festival in October and the Fourth of July Parade, In Wardsboro, the group reassembled at the United Methodist Church, a graceful building with modern flush toilets. The church members provided another hospitality stop. Some walkers with young children joined the group. The pilgrims proceeded on foot up Main Street for two and a half miles to Our Lady of Ephesus House of Prayer. They passed a herd of Scottish Highland cattle in a nearby field.
Bunyan was quite taken by the replica of Mary's 2000-year-old house is Ephesus. The replica is faithful to the original in scale, building materials and construction techniques. It stands on a hill that is unpopulated except for some donkeys and sheep. Mary Tarinelli had recounted the history of the shrine the previous evening after dinner, but Bunyan was unprepared for the quiet beauty and powerful presence of the place. In a gazebo nearby refreshments were available, and a local massage therapist directed stretching exercises on the lawn as the group assembled. When everyone was present, including those who came in cars, the Ceremony of the Stones, in which pebbles collected along the route were placed in a vase after a prayer, took place. Then the local Catholic priest explained the veneration of Mary to those who were unfamiliar with Catholic practices, after which those who wished entered the house for a reading, a prayer, and a hymn. When this was over, everyone walked to the conference center, about a half mile away on a path through the woods, for a farewell barbeque.
As they enjoyed their final meal together, walkers reflected on what they would most remember about the pilgrimage: the highlander cows, the spectacular view, Mike Cooney’s gardens, the camaraderie of fellow pilgrims, and even the outhouses. Bunyan thought she would like to come back next year.
. . . . .
I hope this story has given you a better understanding of our pilgrimage experience. There are also a couple of brief videos about the pilgrimage on our website.
We hope that you will join us this year.
Yours truly,
Lincoln
Lincoln Rathnam, for the Organizing Committee
PS: If you would like to read or reread the previous update, which proves some more general information about the walk, please click here.
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