LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – He’s back in Louisville and 30-pounds lighter. A full beard. Three months later.
A 1,000-mile walk through France and Spain ended for Father David Sanchez of Butchertown's St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Welcome home. Parishioner Luis Scheker came to the airport and said, “We came to say Thank You for what he's doing. He’s trying to save the steeples of St. Joseph Church.”
Sanchez turned the European walk into a fundraiser to repair the 150-year-old twin steeples that tower above his church in Butchertown. They are losing their slate shingles and falling apart.
In fact, when we checked on them, there are more missing shingles than three months ago.
The loud, excited group of parishioners were stunned by their pastor and his effort. Scheker said, “He’s indomitable, he’s an incredible guy.”
Sanchez’s walk started in France on July 10.
The places, the food, the people he met – this man of God had a lot of time to talk to God and look ahead.
He told WHAS11 News in the airport, “To discover the reality of the hope of the people today. It was a challenging experience. You become transformed.”
He knows that reality will soon set in after what he witnessed, telling us, “These people there love their churches, maintain their churches, why can't we do it in Louisville?”
So, if you've spent three months walking, what do you do next? He traveled light, with only the backpack on his back.
PHOTOS: Padre's views from the trail
When he was asked, where’s your car, his response, “I am walking home.”
Yes, and away he went down the escalator.
Past the luggage area – no need to stop for that!
And right out the door of the Louisville Airport.
That’s right, David Sanchez made a full circle, adding eight and a half miles to his 1,015.
Past Manual High School and into the city at 11:35 a.m.
Through downtown and back to Butchertown, where the work continues.
Luis Scheker’s observation about Sanchez, “The German people that built that church 150 years ago did it with a lot of sacrifice.”
Sanchez gets the final word, “I think everything is possible when you have hope.”