Help from someone in Spain re: pilgrim who died

[Janeh]

I walked the Camino Frances during September and October this year and was there just outside Castrojerez when a pilgrim died. I have been able to find out his name from a web site:

Francisco Manuel Picasso López, peregrino veterano de Málaga, de 42 años, murió el 25 de septiembre de 2008 tras pasar Castrogeriz (Burgos) y según subía la colina de Mostelares.

It has always bothered me that his poor family will never know exactly what happened to him. Now that I know his name I would like to somehow get a message to them. I was wondering if anyone on the forum who speaks spanish and is in Spain would be able to help me? If you are able to find out through the telephone or postal company his address of his family and either ring them or send a message to them on behalf of me I would be so grateful. My spanish just wouldn't be good enough to do something like this.

I would like his family to know that he died peacefully. There were two spanish men, myself and a nurse from australia with him. She did everything she could to try and save him. He did not regain conciousness after he fell. His knee collapsed under him and he fell, hitting his head very hard on the ground. It was very very quick and he would not have know what happened. His face was peaceful, so was his breathing. He was quiet and died very quietly.

If you are able to somehow get this message to them I think it will help answer some of their questions perhaps. I am happy to contact them myself if no-one wants to do that, but if someone in Spain who can speaks spanish could find out an address for me through records that would be at least something.

I know this is a bizarre request but it is something I would like to do to help a family who must have questions they would like answered. thanks everyone, Jane

 

[Artemis]

I hope someone here is able to help you. I know it would mean a lot to me to know that information if it were someone I cared about. It is really nice of you to try to comfort his family.

Melinda

 

[Javier]

Hello Janeh.-
Video Homenage to Francisco Manuel Picasso in YOUTUBE


http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=oHf4p9jKoIg

 

[Lillian Rodriguez]

Hi Janeh!

I do not live in Spain but am bilingual and speak fluent Spanish. So after following Javier's link to YouTube, I wrote to the guy who posted the memorial video explaining your interest to communicate with his family to confort them and give them information on his passing away.

I inquired whether he is familiar enough to provide a phone number, an email address or in the last case, whether he would act as intermediary to deliver the message. I will let you know as soon as he answers!

Regards from Puerto Rico

 

[Lillian Rodriguez]

Me again Janeh!

We've made contact! The guy who posted the memorial video is a friend and "brother" of Francisco's. They both belonged to same "cofradia" or "brotherhood", one of the Spanish congregations formed by devouts and whose most visible activity is the Holy Week processions.

He is willing to be an intermediary for your message to the family and I to serve as intermediary/translator.

I will pm you with details.

Regards,

 

[Javier]

Gracias Lillian por tu intervención.............desde Pamplona saludos.-

 

[Lillian Rodriguez]

Saludos Javier!

Tanto tiempo! Gracias a tu enlace logramos establecer contacto y ya le avise a Janeh.

Un abrazo desde este lado del gran charco!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I love Pilgrims!

What a wonderful thing to do!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It is not only a wonderful thing for a pilgrim to do, but it shows that the internet is for more than games and ads! On behalf of the Pilgrimage-to-Santiago community, I thank you for being useful, caring, and successful.

 

[Lillian Rodriguez]

There’s no seven degrees of separation in the Camino

Here’s the brief story of five strangers who coincide in the camino:

• Going up one hill; long, but not one of the hardest climbs, One falls down while the other four try to revive him. Unbeknownst to them, he has a cardiac condition and unfortunately he does not recover and quickly, silently and peacefully dies. After the authorities arrive, the remaining pilgrims sadly resume their westward journey. That could have been the end of the story.
• But, One remains concerned that the family of the dead pilgrim would never know what had really happened to him. Upon her return home (in Adelaide, Australia), she searches the internet for information and finds his name and city of origin. She then, posts a message on the forum asking for help to contact the immediate family and convey her message.
• Another (in Pamplona, Spain) reads the message and miraculously provides a link to a YouTube video in memory of the dead pilgrim.
• Another (in San Juan, Puerto Rico) after reading the message, watches the video and contacts the video maker.
• The friend (in Malaga, Spain), is a close friend for the past 27 years and “brother” of the dead pilgrim, sharing in the same Cofradía. No one in town, his friends or family knew any specifics of the pilgrim's death so the friend is so relieved and grateful to Jane for the having stayed with him, helped trying to revive him and for going through the effort to provide the news. Relieved that his friend and brother had not died alone in the camino and found later, the friend provides photos and more info on Manolo.

Manolo, 42, was a veteran pilgrim on his fifth camino; a good man, very religious and single, with no close family. His extended family are his friends at the cofradia who feel confort knowing that he died doing what he loved and that God must have picked him right up from the camino.

My recognition to Jane for her continued effort, for following through until she established contact! She was an angel who touched someone today! A very touching story of another of the many “miracles” in the camino. Isn’t it wonderful to KNOW how connected we really ARE! This is such a small world after all!

Saludos from San Juan :arrow:

Here's a poem that Enrique wrote in memory of Manolo "Piki"

In the memory of all Malagans will remain that thundering noise,
That shrunk our hearts,
On the morning of Friday September 25 2008
Perhaps it was you, Brother, who wanted to prepare our bodies
For something that would break our souls,
Because that thunder was perhaps the warning of what later,
BROTHER, we learned
The unexpected bad news ...
You left far away from your brothers,
As Our Lord retired to the Olive Garden,
To meet there with your Christ of the Exaltation,
He picked you picked on the camino
The camino of Hope
With the tears of friends you left behind
Our Christ of Souls once again and as He did to other absent siblings ,
He will whisper in your ear that death is not the end of the road,
Because the flesh dies but the soul remains,
Your soul will live in the memory of all your brothers and friends,
Life deals us blows that open wounds which are difficult to hide

BROTHER you felt how life escaped you by moments
But you were accompanied by Our Lady of Major Pain (Mayor Dolor),

This was your fifth Camino de Santiago,
Perhaps He knew that your path began in Saint Jean,
That you knew well from a very early age,

Perhaps that's why he picked you up and guided your steps toward
The feet of your Christ of the EXALTATION
"Piki": Brother, this is not goodbye but until forever ...
In memory of Don FRANCISCO LOPEZ MANUEL PICASSO "Piki"
MAYORDOMO OF SECTION OF CHRIST Santísimo exaltation in Malaga on November 29, 2008

 

[Deirdre]

I was touched by this story when it first appeared here - I believe Jane ( I think it was Jane who posted it) wrote about her experience in Sept.
As I have walked, I've paused at the many monuments to Pilgrims who have died on the Camino and wondered about their circumstances. Were they alone? With Camino friends or family? Certainly this is an expereince that none of those pilgrims will ever forget...It's a really good thing that you have all done.
¡Qué Santiago os bendiga a todos vosotros!

Buen Camino,

 

[ivar]

I am happy that things worked out for you Jane. I know this has been on your mind.

Ivar

 

[lasaeta]

Hello friends:

Cofradías Fusionadas, Málaga, Spain

I'm Andres Torres ,vice-president , I only know a few words of english languaje, but I want thank to Jane and all people your special interest to our friend and brother Manuel Picasso.

Link to the cofradia web/blog:

http://fusionadas.blogspot.com/

 

[lasaeta]

A Photo

 

[Raquel.]

Dear pilgrims:
I am a friend of Manuel and one of the two companions who were going to make the journey with him. Was to meet with us on June 3 in ponferrada but could not be. God wanted to make their way before they returned to us. We were three very excited because for the other two comrades was our first and it was the fifth! We suffer much loss and we were pretty helpless but ended up the way for him and with him and came to Santiago to find the peace that we sought. You can not imagine what I was calm your speeches, and Lilian Jane, God bless you and thank you very much for being with him where his colleagues could not be on the path that has made known to the fleet in the air corps, and I stayed calm because he was also his last moments with friends. A greeting and a big hug from Malaga.

P.D.= Sorry by my english

 

[Janeh]

Hello everyone who has posted and knew Manuel,
it is with tears that I write this, for the kind comments of everyone and for the sadness once again for Manuel. I am so happy that now his friends and family have learned that he did not die alone. Manuel died on my 50th birthday - I learned a lot that day - especially the lesson of loving life, no matter how old we are, grateful just to be that age. He taught me one, if perhaps, the most important camino lesson I learned along the way. My love and friendship i extent to all who know and loved him. thank you again everyone for helping me resolve this wish. Jane

 

[Janeh]

Lillian,
I have tried to send through a PM to you but I don't think it's sending. Please let me know if you don't receive anything from me, Jane

 

[sillydoll]

I've also been touched by the many memorials on the camino. Last year I posted a few photographs of memorias on my blog.

http://amawalker.blogspot.com/2007/12/p ... orials.php

 

[jorge]

Dear pilgrims and friends:
First of all thank you for your endless information, as my companion said Rakel Way, had the spiritual need to know as had happened the fatal outcome of our brother Manuel, though from the sky in a way helped us to achieve the extraordinary Road could not be otherwise since he was so extraordinary. Thanks for joining us at this time, we know that the Peregrine is supportive but not to these limits. Thanks from Malaga. Ultreia Pilgrims

 

[crackmrmac]

Dear Janeh,

May the Lord bless you and keep you. You have carried this pilgrim in your heart; you will always carry him. Take comfort in the fact that some people are easy to carry.
You have also introduced some other kindly people to Ivar's forum and they are getting an-insight to their pilgrim friend.

Buen Camino

Brian