Dear fellow pilgrim,

With sadness, I’m writing to inform you that our fellow peregrino John Brierley has died. Countless numbers of us have relied on John’s guidebooks as we undertook our caminos. He not only advised us on choosing routes, finding albergues, and noticing interesting places, but he also guided us inwardly, always reminding us to tend to the inner pilgrimage. I was recently on a Zoom call with John, and I was deeply impressed with his readiness for the next stage in life’s pilgrimage. In the spirit of his Camino Guides, he was prepared for what came next and looking forward to whatever the way presented. 

John’s daughter Gemma has been working with John on his guidebooks for some time, and she will carry on his work. She sent the following notice to alert us of John's passing:

In this beautiful camino community I wanted to reach out to you, some of my dear dad's closest camino companions, to let you know that he has now left us and is taking his first steps on his next great pilgrimage.
In the end his passing was as graceful and peaceful as any of us could wish for. Slipping away in his sleep at home surrounded by his family and fully aware of the love and blessings pouring in from his camino family and friends.

John was always adamant that death was not an ending, but instead the beginning of the next great adventure. The new days stage on a long pilgrimage that spans this world and the next.

With this in mind we will not be having a big funeral to mark his ending, he would be ticking us off if we did, reminding us this is not a goodbye but instead the beginning of the ultimate pilgrimage home. So we will have a quiet cremation in the coming weeks with just our immediate family. But anyone is welcome to remember him and send him blessings on his way in whatever way this feels most fitting. Be it by raising a glass of his beloved Galician Albariño or Irish Whiskey, by collecting and clearing some rubbish from a path, by supporting one of the many pilgrim associations whose work he so respected or by helping a fellow pilgrim on their way.

Alongside his family the camino was truly the other great love of his life. His passion, his home and his purpose. It brought him so much joy and I want to thank all of you and the entire pilgrim community for the part that you played in this.

Please forgive me if I have missed anyone important in this message and please do pass it on.
With love and thanks,
Gemma and the Brierley family

We extend to Gemma and the rest of John’s family our deepest sympathy and our gratitude for their support in his mission which has meant so much to us.

Buen Camino,

Steve Lytch, Chair
Board of Directors
American Pilgrims on the Camino