Hello! This is our first Camino, family of four with 2 teen boys from the US. Just doing the stage from Sarria to Santiago. We will walk our last day from Pedrouzo to Santiago. My question is whether I will have enough time to sort out our 4 pilgrim certificates and attend mass on the day of our arrival in Santiago? My understanding is that there are masses at noon and 7:30 pm. I'm more concerned about whether we can get our certificates that same afternoon (given lines and crowds), and if we do, whether our names would be read at the 7:30 mass. We are trying to leave Santiago the following morning to meet up with family. Many thanks for your advice!
CGPratt,
if it were me, I'd definitely spend a second night in Santiago. As it is your family's first camino, getting your compostelas is important to you. At present, it is not known how busy the pilgrim office will be this year due to the evolving global health situation. Furthermore, it is still a jubilee year. If you are lucky and manage to get it the same day you arrive, then you could consider joining a day excursion to Finisterre and Muxia or to the Rias Baixas vineyards on your second day. It will not be a wasted day.
(If you are a Roman Catholic, then you'd want to enter the catherdral via the Holy Door, which among other conditions, is a requisite for gaining a plenary indulgence. The door is open only in jubilee years. To protestants, this may be less important religiously but still significant culturally. For this, there could be a queue depending on the time of the day.)
Compostelas are 'personal': each pilgrim having walked at least the last 100km into Santiago will be issued one in their own name by the pilgrim's office on presentation of a credencial that has been stamped at least two times a day from Sarria onwards. These are issued free of charge but there is a donation box if you wish to contribute towards it. (BTW, compostelas are issued for 'Religious/Spiritual' motivation and 'certificate of welcome' for any other motivations. These are not the same documents. I mention this because whilst volunteering at the pilgrim office one year, I met a family like your's whose teenage children got certificates of welcome while the parents got compostelas because at different desks, they ticked different boxes. I am guessing that the teenagers were being honest. Anyway, subsequently there was much unhappiness when the parents eventually realised and wanted for them all to have the compostela. Unfortunately, this could not be changed as the documents were already issued. Just so your family all know what to do if it is the compostela specifically you want.)
However, as a family, you can additionally request for a 'distance certificate', either individually or as a family with all four names written on the same certificate. This may make a good momento for your family. These cost 3 euros per certificate.
Finally, as pointed out by henrythedog, names of pilgrims are not read out at the pilgrim mass, only their nationalities. This is always done at the next day's mass. So even if you get your compostelas on the morning of your first day, as may be possible if you start off very early from Pedrouzo, your country's name is not read out until the next day. This is another reason for staying a second night.
Buen Camino. I am quite envious of you and your family because the first camino is always the most special, in my opinion.