Can I get a Compostela for a loved one?

[Anthony Rocco]

A friend is walking the Frances to honor a loved one who passed. Can he get a compostella in the name of the loved one or have that person's name added to his compostella?

 

[Robo]

Yes. Ask at the Pilgrims office to have the name of the person who has passed, added to the Compostela.
easiest to have the name written on a piece of paper ready, with the wording Vicarie Pro

 

[Corned Beef]

I did last month. No problems at the Pilgrim Office if you tell them "in vicarie pro"

 

[dbier]

Same experience 28 September. My name was already on the Compostela (in English...sigh), but I wrote down, In Vicarie Pro - (name) on a scrap of paper. The volunteer asked me one question about what one letter was, wrote that phrase down at the bottom of the Compostela, and that was that.

What doesnt seem possible is to have *only* the loved one's name on the *Compostela.* Go over to the Church of San Francisco for their certificate - the gentleman gave me two, one for me to write my name, and one for my mother's. Donations accepted.

 

[Bradypus]

What doesnt seem possible is to have *only* the loved one's name on the *Compostela.*

If you read the text of the Compostela then it is fairly clear why the absent loved one cannot be the only person named. To substitute another name for that of the person who actually walked or cycled the Camino would mean that the statements made in the Compostela are evidently untrue.

 

[t2andreo]

To clarify, you CANNOT obtain an individual Compostela for any person who did not walk. The basic rule is one person, one credencial, one Compostela. Each person must appear, in person, to request their Compostela.

However, you CAN dedicate the effort you put into your Camino, to the spiritual benefit of another person.

The other person must either be deceased, or be in circumstances or health such that they will never be able to do a Camino on their own. Advanced age, infirmity, and chronic illness are the most popular reasons for these requests.

SImply asking at the counter in the Pilgrim Office will result in a special annotation: "Vicarie Pro" (the name of the person.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Jim]

A friend is walking the Frances to honor a loved one who passed. Can he get a compostella in the name of the loved one or have that person's name added to his compostella?

Yes, I have personal experience with this. I walked one of my first Camino experiences for my brother who disappeared without a trace at age 14, presumed long since deceased by now. He was last seen on a Saturday afternoon, October 15, 1966. Two classmates told police they saw him two days later and tried to run after him, so the police closed their search for him figuring he was a runaway. Then twenty some years later, they admitted that they made up the story to account for time they were missing from the classroom. It took a number of years to even get him registered to proper authorities/agencies in the United States. The office of pilgrims were very gracious to me as I explained this story and did affix his name, along with mine, on the Compostela certificate.
Buen Camino to your friend or I should say, to both of them!