Who "owns" the albergue at Roncesvalles?

[DurhamParish]

I'm doing a talk on the Camino in a week or so. I was trying to add a bit about Roncesvalles and I found out that I really don't know how to truly describe it. Who does it belong to? The Church? Is it still a monastery?

Thanks for any help.

 

[mspath]

Roncesvalles is indeed 'still' a monastery; read more on their webside re it's special thousand year history. See--
http://roncesvalles.es/contenidos.php?c=12&s=162&t=&cat=&a=

 

[MTtoCamino]

I actually asked that question when I arrived in 2014 the answer was the order of a Spanish diocese I could not even pronounce so that then would I assume it fall under the church The fellow I would pm is https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/members/mikel-olivares.42823/

 

[DurhamParish]

Thank you. That website was great, and I think it satisfies my curiosity and will be enough for the talk I'm giving. Are there still any monks or nuns resident there?

 

[mspath]

Thank you. That website was great, and I think it satisfies my curiosity and will be enough for the talk I'm giving. Are there still any monks or nuns resident there?

Yes there still are a small group of monks or canons resident at Roncesvalles. Every evening throughout the year in the church they hold a special Vespers service and blessing for pilgrims. Don't miss it.

 

[DurhamParish]

Yes there still are a small group of monks or canons resident at Roncesvalles. Every evening throughout the year in the church they hold a special Vespers service and blessing for pilgrims. Don't miss it.

I was there in May of 2014 and went to the 8:00 PM Pilgrim's Mass. Didn't know that there were monks there. But I did enjoy the Mass.

In my planning I had thought to pass Roncesvalles and go on to Burguete, since I was staying at Orisson the night before. People here told me I shouldn't miss Roncesvalles. I'm very much glad that I stayed there.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Castilian]

Yes there still are a small group of monks or canons resident at Roncesvalles

The history for XX and XXI centuries available on the link provided by mspath on her first post on this thread says they are priest-canons subject to the same rules than the rest of the Diocesan clergy. In other words, they aren't monks because they don't belong to any Catholic Religious Order (or so I think because I'm not an expert).

 

[mspath]

Castilian,

Thank you for the clarification re the present day priest-canons at Roncesvalles. Of course, I had earlier read those descriptive sections regarding c. 1980 organizational changes at Roncesvalles and wondered what is the current term for such a complex ? What is the precise English term for a religious Colegiata?

MM

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I was lucky enough to have my first night on my first Camino be in Roncesvalles when the albergue was in the old stone building across thenew and improved dogs. It was magical. Memorable. I gather the new digs are clean and modern, spacious, similar to Jesus & Maria in Pamplona. Will always cherish that night in the stine building, and being woken up with the lights slowly being turned on on those massive chandeliers and classical music.

 

[Castilian]

I think collegiate church is the term you are looking for, mspath.

 

[CaminoKentucky]

DurhamParish:
The alberque at Roncesvalles is no longer a monastery since a monastery is "a building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows." The priests at Roncesvalles are diocesan priests of the Diocese of Pamplona. Diocesan priests are not monks. The alberque is owned by the Diocese of Pamplona. "Collegiate church" is not a term commonly used in the Catholic Church today. The Church at Roncesvalles, in addition to being a Church where pilgrims can go to Mass and Evening Prayer, is also a parish church, i.e. the designated church for Catholics in that local area. I hope this information is helpful and hope your talk goes well!

Kay Kramer

 

[DurhamParish]

Thank you Sister Kay, and thanks to everyone for the great information. I doubt anyone who I will be addressing would know one way or the other, but I would. I like to be correct.

 

[nathanael]

Roncesvalles is indeed 'still' a monastery; read more on their webside re it's special thousand year history. See--
http://roncesvalles.es/contenidos.php?c=12&s=162&t=&cat=&a=

nice web site if it was also in English.

 

[mspath]

nice web site if it was also in English.

Click the small tab marked EN at the very top of their web site to read their English version.

 

[Castilian]

The priests at Roncesvalles are diocesan priests of the Diocese of Pamplona.

As it seems there are some users interested in be as accurate as posible, Pamplona is an archdiocese since the mid 50's and in the mid 80's the diocese of Tudela was joined to form a single archdiocese with Pamplona so nowadays it's the archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela being the person in charge of it archbishop of Pamplona and bishop of Tudela.

The alberque is owned by the Diocese of Pamplona.

I don't know for sure who owns the albergue but I'd like to point out that it might be runned by a diferent person/entity. That's something durhamparish might research.

"Collegiate church" is not a term commonly used in the Catholic Church today.

I guess it depends on the area of the world where you are located. In Spain, colegiata (Collegiate church) isn't a rare term at all although I'm not sure if all the colegiatas work nowadays as such. Anyway, the colegiata de Roncesvalles still has a cabildo (chapter/college of cannons) and the person in charge of it has the title of prior so I think it meets all the requirements to be properly called a colegiata (Collegiate church) independently of how common or uncommon that term is. BTW, the prior of the colegiata de Roncesvalles keeps the medieval title of Gran Abad de Colonia.

The Church at Roncesvalles, in addition to being a Church where pilgrims can go to Mass and Evening Prayer, is also a parish church, i.e. the designated church for Catholics in that local area.

...and (some) members of the cabildo de Roncesvalles are in charge of (some) parishes of nearby towns.

 

[Bobcat77]

Monks are members of a religious order who live in a monastery and largely stay within its walls. A friar is also a member of an order who lives in a friary, but they go out to work among the people, giving retreats and ministering to the poor or teaching in schools etc.
Usually diocesan or 'secular' priests work entirely among the people and run a parish. Sometimes they form a community and run schools / 'colleges' (st Jarlaths in Galway, Ireland is one. It's a secondary or high school for 12 to 18's).
Here endeth the lesson.
Good luck with the talk. Buen Camino

 

[Castilian]

A friar is also a member of an order who lives in a friary

If we are strict, a friar is a member of a mendicant order.

BTW, talking about monks, friars and so on, I'd like to point out that there are also Brothers. I think Wikipedia will explain it better than my poor English so take a look at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_(Catholic)

 

[owms2323]

Roncesvalles is indeed 'still' a monastery; read more on their webside re it's special thousand year history. See--
http://roncesvalles.es/contenidos.php?c=12&s=162&t=&cat=&a=

I am concerned that we will get to Roncesvalles on April 20 and it will be full. I can't seem to reach them to reserve. Ideas?

 

[whariwharangi]

I am concerned that we will get to Roncesvalles on April 20 and it will be full. I can't seem to reach them to reserve. Ideas?

The albergue has 183 beds and an overflow area (the old albergue) of 110. Too, there is a hotel.

I guess your other options are to sleep under a park bench or keep walking to Burgete .. but it seems unlikely that will be necessary.

I would suggest laying your plans so that its not do-or-die to find a bunk at Roncesvalles.

 

[Deleted member 77020]

DurhamParish:
The alberque at Roncesvalles is no longer a monastery since a monastery is "a building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows." The priests at Roncesvalles are diocesan priests of the Diocese of Pamplona. Diocesan priests are not monks. The alberque is owned by the Diocese of Pamplona. "Collegiate church" is not a term commonly used in the Catholic Church today. The Church at Roncesvalles, in addition to being a Church where pilgrims can go to Mass and Evening Prayer, is also a parish church, i.e. the designated church for Catholics in that local area. I hope this information is helpful and hope your talk goes well!

Kay Kramer

How does one expect monasteries to survive since the Vatican Council?

 

[Antomuchacho]

I'm doing a talk on the Camino in a week or so. I was trying to add a bit about Roncesvalles and I found out that I really don't know how to truly describe it. Who does it belong to? The Church? Is it still a monastery?

Thanks for any help.

Its a dutch owned monestary

 

[Anniesantiago]

This post is from 2016. So far there are several different answers to the original question.

 

[Deleted member 77020]

Its a dutch owned monestary

the Dutch run the Albergue and do an excellent job; especially doing your laundry. But I am certain the buildings belong to the Church.

 

[Kathar1na]

Dutch volunteer hospitaleros on two-weeks stints. No monks, they left Roncesvalles between 1979 and 1983. Currently diocesan priests living in one of the buildings in some kind of statutory community (Cabildo colegial de Roncesvalles), with pastoral care for neighbouring villages and pilgrims mass. Albergue and hotels owned by the Archdiocese of Pamplona y Tudela. More info in previous posts.