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The Province of Castilla and Leon has some of the most imprtant processions to be seen in Spain. (Andalucia obviously comes top!) Leon, Astorga and Ponferrada are all worth seeing. Astorga has a webpage with information now.What about Easter?
Tia Valeria said:Falcon, this sadly is true in England and maybe the USA, but is not in our experience the 'norm' in Europe as a whole.
MichaelB10398 said:During the Eucharist, if you wish to participate, walk with with your arms crossed and hands on chest. The priest will then offer a blessing on you.
bjorgts said:What about Easter? I am planning to walk the Camino around Easter next spring, and have wandered if I could find some information (not now but perhaps in February?) on what is going on in the different cityes during this week. When and where Mass? When and where processions? Things like that. :?:
Hi bjorgts,
Re Easter services: We attended the Maundy Thursday evening liturgy and adoration at the Cathedral in Pamplona- the later was candlelit with very small attendance and exquisite a cappella singing. Very very early on Easter Sunday in Estella (Lizarra) there was a sort of religious serenade by a group of 4 or 5 musicians who paused, at what appeared to be designated places, sang to the locals who were waiting for them on their balconies, and then moved on to the next spot. It was quite sombre but very beautiful. We just made it to Los Arcos for the end of the Easter Sunday procession and mass. Despite being rather grubby we were made to feel very welcome by the congregation. This was a lovely joyous local service
Masses in general: Without ever staying overnight just to 'catch one' (when I walk the CF again thats something I may change) we went to as many masses as we could and were quite frankly opportunistic about attendance. If we couldn't get full mass then we took whatever service was on offer including a wedding in Leon Cathedral (we held back from receiving communion that day though) gatecrashing a baptism in Sarria and 'tailgating' a priest saying his evening office outside Najera .
I found that, in addition to the prayer service held by the sisters in Carrion, the pilgrim masses in Roncevalles, San Juan de Ortega and Triacastela (communion under both kinds at the latter) had particular resonance.
On non catholics receiving: I'm not saying we were religious press gangers but whenever we went to church we'd generally 'bring' along some other pilgrim(s). As pilgrims without access to their own service I thought whether they felt called to receive or not was personal matter. As I walk along various Jakobswegs en route to SDC I'm receiving, and will continue to receive, communion at both Protestant and Catholic churches. Such actions don't feel sacrilegious to me and, as a person who for a period of time attended mass and received without belief, I'm familiar with that hollow feeling.
Nell
capecorps said:I attended mass this evening in my parish church. The church was practically empty. Thinking of her legions of lapsed Catholics (myself included), I drank a bottle of wine and wrote: ........
And yet she waits at the church gates
Forsaken forgotten
Her tears fall in the snow
Her Sacred Heart breaking
She gazes down the long lonely overgrown path
But no one comes…….