This has been a huge year for a woman who found God while serving with the British Army in Afghanistan over a decade ago.
The Revd Rachael Phillips was ordained as a priest in Durham Diocese this summer after serving as a deacon. But while that was “one of the biggest days of my life”, Rachael has also spent time walking a stretch of the Camino de Santiago, the world renowned pilgrimage of medieval origin in Spain.
It’s not the first time Rachael has taken on the famous route, which sees pilgrims journey to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, having walked parts of the route twice previously. But this is the first time she’s done so in a collar, which made a noticeable difference to the way in which she was able to interact with people en-route.
This time around, she ventured from the start point of the Camino Frances (The French Way) at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France, walking across the Pyrenees and finishing this leg of her journey at the Spanish town of Logroño.
“I was interested to see how people would respond to me wearing a collar,” said Rachael. “On the first day a couple of Irish ladies mentioned it and at the end of that first day, one guy from Rio de Janeiro gave me a badge of the Virgin Mary.
“It’s a truly incredible place. The scenery is stunning and there so much to see and explore along the route.”
Rachael was accompanied by her husband Dickie and family friend Tony – all three have previously served in the army.
“Day by day, different people would join us,” she explained. “It opened up so many more questions. I got into conversations about praying. I prayed for people by name and got asked questions about faith.”
Every morning, Rachael would broadcast morning prayer via Facebook. She could sense a special atmosphere and felt very much welcomed as she conversed with people from different backgrounds.
Rachael loves the great outdoors which is why she chose to spend her retreat this summer walking the Camino. “Everyone is different,” she said, “but for me the only answer is going outdoors. Walking is something I’m really passionate about. For my mental health it is brilliant. It is a great time to process things.”
Rachael was pleased to link-up with Tony again, after initially joining his first Camino pilgrimage which he began after leaving the army several years ago.
Following her ordination, Rachael is continuing to serve at St John’s Church, Greenside, and Church of the Holy Spirit, Crawcrook. She has also planted a new outdoor church, Magdalene Community Church, based at Chopwell.
Launched as recently as April of this year, the new church is growing fast, with fortnightly gatherings. They pitch a tent at various locations in the village for prayer meetings, grow food for the monthly Feast in a shared allotment space, gather in the grounds of a local school and pray weekly in the woods.
Those who attend eat well. Partnering with location organisations to reduce food waste, such as The Pickle Palace, Chopwell Regeneration Group and Gibside Community Farm, who source food which would otherwise be thrown out, the church’s chef cooks up a delicious feast for between 50 and 70 people.
Rachael said: “The number of families who come along... it absolutely blows me away every time. Most people find out about us through word of mouth and some through social media. They’re attracted by the strong sense of community we’re building here, and how what we do and how we do it really challenges perceptions of what many people think church is.”
It has been quite a journey for a woman who found God while serving in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. Rachael served with the Defence Cultural Specialist Unit (DCSU). Her job was to learn the language and culture of a particular country or region, to get to know the people and build bridges with the local community.
“I had an out of the blue experience of God,” she explained. “I really did not know what to do with it at the start. I felt so drawn to this Jesus character. I became an evangelist very quickly.”
It was quite a moment for Rachael, who served three times in Afghanistan between 2003 and 2016. She also spent time elsewhere, including Bosnia, Tajikistan, the US and Cyprus.
Now that Rachael has transferred her skills from the army to the church, she has reflected on her ordination in June.
“It was one of the biggest days of my life,” she said. “It was so filled with joy. I feel so privileged to serve my community and to serve God.”
In the coming years, Rachael hopes to walk the Northern Saints Trails, and she recently walked the first leg of the recently developed St James Way, the Camino which starts in Reading. Her experience of this are set to be featured on the BBC’s The One Show in due course.
Visit the Magdalene Community Church website or Facebook page.