Eve Alexandra
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2017 Astorga-SDC, April 2022 SJPP-Muxia
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You sound as though the Pilgrim Mass might be beneath your needs, so a side chapel will be your best choice. Confession can be heard in a lot of languages.
I really can't tell "pilgrim mass" from any other mass where the botafumeiro is on display. You are right, it has become a bit, or a lot of a spectacle. Let alone that the sound is horrible and ot is difficult to understand what is being said, regardless of the language.
If you are looking for a religiously meaningful mass, I can't help but think that the "pilgrim mass" will leave you unhinged.
There is an English service in one of the chapels. Perhaps that would be more meaningful.
@JohnnieWalker can let you know about the hours I'm sure.I looked on the Cathedral's web site. It lists all the chapel masses but not what languages they are in. I will definitely get to an English one if I can. Thank you for your thoughts.
I attended the pilgrim's mass in Santiago (with and without the botafumeiro) a few times, and attended mass in several smaller churches all along the CF. I liked them all. As they say, same same, but different. Go to every mass you can I say.
I walked with my DH in 2014 and then we walked again in 2015. Yes, the Spirit speaks to you at the Pilgrims' Mass. (Caveat: in 2014 it was the main Mass of Corpus Christi Sunday. In 2015 it was the famous Friday evening Mass.) I will also make bold to advise you that, like in a number of other churches you will encounter on the Frances, there is Adoration. And I will also admit, in public yet, that the moment in 2014 when I knelt in the Adoration chapel to give thanks to Him was...well, let's just say it was a high point for me.I wouln't say that. I have been looking forward to the Pilgrim's Mass for a long time. And then I read several descriptions of people who just popped in to see the Botafumeiro with flash cameras and exit...and then I wondered if it was still possible to focus on God as well.
It is hard to know when you are only reading other's descriptions and have never been anywhere near Santiago before.
I don't remember what days I went to mass. I would just go whenever they were having it in the town I was in, and I just happened to find out about it. For the most part masses in the late afternoon/early evening after I had already settled in at the albergue.Duly noted.I think I'll just plan with them in mind but let it be ok if walking takes longer than I imagine.
What about Sunday masses?
I walked with my DH in 2014 and then we walked again in 2015. Yes, the Spirit speaks to you at the Pilgrims' Mass. (Caveat: in 2014 it was the main Mass of Corpus Christi Sunday. In 2015 it was the famous Friday evening Mass.) I will also make bold to advise you that, like in a number of other churches you will encounter on the Frances, there is Adoration. And I will also admit, in public yet, that the moment in 2014 when I knelt in the Adoration chapel to give thanks to Him was...well, let's just say it was a high point for me.
I experienced the watching-over of the pilgrims more than once on that walk. (NOt only the Spanish police are watching over you!) And I learned a lot! Mostly to let my sweetie do what he was doing and not natter on at him. But to this day, if I'm awake enough to remember at night, I give thanks to Santiago, to San Rocco, etc. etc.
Can I take the opportunity to invite you, not only to visit the Adoration Chapels of various churches like Santo Domingo de Calzada, and to keep your eyes open for the opportunity from time to time, as in Estella on a Saturday evening after the Pilgrims' Mass, and in Leon at the Church of San Isidro (perpetually exposed), but also to visit your local parish and enter into the spiritual communion at Adoration?
Buen camino.
Just walking into the churches may bring experiences you didn't think of...
We walked into Iglesia de Santa María La Mayor, in Belorado, and a priest was in the confessional.
There were 3 Italian pilgrims (one blind), already in the church. When he noticed the blind pilgrim, he came out and gave each of them a private blessing.
Afterwards, he also gave us an individual blessing and sang a hymm for us.
A truly moving moment!
Popping in has been stopped. There is only one entrance, and it is closed before mass starts. People can leave early, but the botafumeiro is at the end, so few leave. There is a lengthy announcement about not taking photos or videos. The botafumeiro starts, and a thousand cameras cameras flash!! An equal number of videos are taken by the phones thrust into the air. The foreground of all those videos is a sea of hands.I wouln't say that. I have been looking forward to the Pilgrim's Mass for a long time. And then I read several descriptions of people who just popped in to see the Botafumeiro with flash cameras and exit...
I think the experience of Mass is what you make it - it depends what you're there for. I am a Catholic and my pilgrimages have been "religious". I wouldn't have missed the Pilgrim Mass for anything - all the times I have arrived in Santiago I have wept for joy and gratitude at the Pilgrim Mass. If you have made a pilgrim "family" on your journey you may want to be with them. But also I have been to a side chapel Mass, which is obviously quieter and more reverent. But, imho, the Pilgrim Mass is not to be missed.Hi there,
I've been lurking here since November when I bought my tickets. I'm leaving for Spain on the 15th of March. I'm 46. I'll be walking mostly alone, although I have a Camino Angel (Julia) from this forum who is meeting up with me for the first two days. <3
I'm starting in Astorga. I'm the mother of many (7, to be exact), so getting away for 4-5 weeks just isn't doable. That said, I'm super grateful for the time I do have.
Somewhere I read that the Pilgrim's Mass is...ummm...not exactly reverent, compared to the smaller masses offered in the side chapels. I'm finalizing my plans and I'm trying to decide if it is important to me to attend an actual Pilgrim's Mass, or if one of these side chapel masses would be better. I'm Catholic, and this is a penitential pilgrimage for me...I'll be lining up for confession as well.
I don't have a lot of time in Santiago...if I don't have to get to mass the same day I arrive, it makes my last walking day a bit easier. That's why I am asking. I'm trying to finalize my stages.
Thanks to you all for all the advice.
And a s/o to SYates...I bought your book on Kindle today. In spite of having read both Brierly and Village to Village, I am finding your book incredibly practical and helpful.
I saw that a few minutes ago. I think I'm going to rely on the albergue postings, as was mentioned. I hope there are Sat. night masses. I'm thinking Sunday morning masses would get me walking too late in the day.There is another thread going on now called Camino Mass Times.
Eve - there aren't always Saturday Vigil masses and indeed Sunday masses can be unpredictable in smaller places where the priest may have multiple parishes - the priest in Cebreiro for example has 14 parishes. Hospitaleros may know but you should also listen for the church bell.
There are dedicated "Pilgrims' Masses" in many of the stops along the way, but in reality the only difference is the special blessing of pilgrims at some point during or at the end of the Mass -- and at Santiago where the pilgrims' countries of origin are noted. One of the main highlights of the Masses I attended were those in the smaller villages where I often found myself sitting next to one of the locals whose forebears may have literally built the church we were in perhaps 800 or a thousand years before. Since you're starting in Astorga, one of your first stops will be at Rabanal (one of my favorite churches), where not only the Mass but the Evening Vespers are special memories. Another memorable Mass was at Triacastela, where pilgrims from various countries were asked to participate by leading the daily readings in their native tongue.
Not every town or village will have a Mass at a time which suits your schedule, but I urge you to attend as many as possible. And count me in the camp that says don't miss the Pilgrims' Mass at the cathedral in Santiago, botafumeiro or not. It is the symbolic end of your pilgrimage.
Wow Eve, you go on camino next month!!!I actually shifted my plans to make sure I didn't miss Vespers in Rabanal. I'm probably going to have to bus for a bit one day in order to get to Santiago in time to make my flight. Rabanal. O Cebriero. Samos. And the monastery in Sarria are high on my priority list. I'm looking forward to just sitting where people have worshipped for hundreds of years.
You all.... <3.... I cannot even tell you how much I have been fretting the last month. Mostly because life is not allowing the amount of physical training I would have liked to do. I have 7 children...getting away for long hikes on a regular basis is difficult. In fact, the third one down with a stomach bug this week came home today from school...
Listening to all of your experiences is really giving me a sense of peace that even if I am not as physically prepared as I would like, it will be ok. Thank you.
The sense of peace you are now feeling is the knowledge that you have done all that you can to prepare....and that everything will be even better than you had hoped.
Don't over prepare or try to work out every detail of an unknown endeavor. Just enjoy the discovery.
Drop all expectations and pre-conceived ideas of what you will experience on your adventure.
Simply get to your starting point, sleep...awake and start walking.
The peace of your camino can make a change in your life.
Yeah, it's a bit daunting at first. I was no stranger to overseas travel or living (literally years of it), but I gotta admit, when I first arrived in SJPdP I had no idea what I was doing, ha ha. Soon enough though, you get a feel for it and wonder why you had any doubt in the first place. For me, the whole experience brings so much inner peace.Thank you. /sniff
I'm more than a little scared. I've never traveled overseas by myself, and I'm leaving my husband and 7 kids (23-6) for 3 and a half weeks. I know I am supposed to do this. Not knowing how, though, is really unnerving to me.
I'm being very idle here, I know ...'but https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/irish-dates.24136/Ok. Got to be honest - when I saw the title of this thread (Intro and Question about Mass) my first thought was "what does an object's resistance to acceleration when a net force is applied have to do with the Camino?" and I got REALLY EXCITED about what the answers would be ;-) And after reading the responses, I was humbled and still very excited with what was posted.
Yes, the Triacastela priest asked me to read the pilgrim blessing in English at the end of Mass, and it was one of the highlights of my 2014 Camino. Before the Mass started, he urged us pilgrims to not only participate but to be enthusiastic in our prayer responses. A very memorable Mass.There are dedicated "Pilgrims' Masses" in many of the stops along the way, but in reality the only difference is the special blessing of pilgrims at some point during or at the end of the Mass -- and at Santiago where the pilgrims' countries of origin are noted. One of the main highlights of the Masses I attended were those in the smaller villages where I often found myself sitting next to one of the locals whose forebears may have literally built the church we were in perhaps 800 or a thousand years before. Since you're starting in Astorga, one of your first stops will be at Rabanal (one of my favorite churches), where not only the Mass but the Evening Vespers are special memories. Another memorable Mass was at Triacastela, where pilgrims from various countries were asked to participate by leading the daily readings in their native tongue.
Not every town or village will have a Mass at a time which suits your schedule, but I urge you to attend as many as possible. And count me in the camp that says don't miss the Pilgrims' Mass at the cathedral in Santiago, botafumeiro or not. It is the symbolic end of your pilgrimage.
I ended up at a number of funerals on the Camino. Unlike here, where they are "private events", along the Camino they are very much a community affair, with anyone and everyone attending. No eulogies either, just a straight forward mass with a prayer for the dead.Also you may discover that you are attending a funeral rather than Mass, be careful of assumptions.
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Thank you for explaining that.I ended up at a number of funerals on the Camino. Unlike here, where they are "private events", along the Camino they are very much a community affair, with anyone and everyone attending. No eulogies either, just a straight forward mass with a prayer for the dead.
And they tend to group them: anyone who died between this and that date hets the same mass. I remember in Los Arcos seing all the herses: I wondered what calamity had struck the down for all these people from one family to have died at the same time.You do not need to bolt. It's an open service.
What I really like about death and funerals in the towns and villages are the coloured sheets of paper anouncing someone's passing and posted all over town for the whole community to be advised. It is a community's affair, not a private, individual one.
It helps when you speak the language as I lukily do. But as I said, I initially was stunned, bit follwed others and sat in the back, just in case.Thank you for explaining that.
There are several places along the CF where one of the options is staying in a convent. If you can, you won't forget it!
I still remember the three nuns singing together with the pilgrims in Carrión de los Condes, and all the places where the nuns invited pilgrims to their non-Mass gatherings in the evening, and I still have at least three of the tiny amulets someone gave me in a church or convent to carry with me on the Camino - including the paper star from Carrión...
We found the church at Vilabade (Primitivo) open and being prepared for a service. A warm welcome from the folk already there. Turned out it was for 2 baptisms, so we sat outside for the Angelus before walking on. The families came running up while that was being said.
We have also been at Sunday Mass when the departed were remembered, not a funeral but the 'year's mind', also First Communion in larger towns on several occasions over the years. It is good being part of the community as a pilgrim even when not closely involved.
You are right about the Mass time; however, circumstances at the time found us still in Rabanal at Mass time, which allowed me to pray for my wife's recovery from the food poisoning she unfortunately contracted probably from a bad tuna empenada lunch at the (bar name edited) the day before. The hosptilaleros at Rabanal were kind enough to allow us linger until noon or so, at which time we walked the few miles up the road to Foncebadón. Starting the next day from Foncebadón meant we reached the Cruz de Ferro just as the sun was rising and before the crowds arrived, and the cross at the top of the pole was the first thing lit as the sun came over the horizon. It was one of the most emotional moments of our entire Camino for both of us. We realized that the events of the previous two days were not just a coincidence...we were meant to be at that place at that time....
Mass in Rabanal is not until 9.30 AM, which suits the locals just fine, but is not so well-timed for pilgrims, who have mostly hit the road at least 2 hours before.
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You are right about the Mass time; however, circumstances at the time found us still in Rabanal at Mass time, which allowed me to pray for my wife's recovery from the food poisoning she unfortunately contracted probably from a bad tuna empenada lunch at the Cowboy Bar the day before. The hosptilaleros at Rabanal were kind enough to allow us linger until noon or so, at which time we walked the few miles up the road to Foncebadón. Starting the next day from Foncebadón meant we reached the Cruz de Ferro just as the sun was rising and before the crowds arrived, and the cross at the top of the pole was the first thing lit as the sun came over the horizon. It was one of the most emotional moments of our entire Camino for both of us. We realized that the events of the previous two days were not just a coincidence...we were meant to be at that place at that time.
Is there anywhere to do this between Astorga and Santiago?
That's a good idea, planning on going to more than one. I suppose if I get there very late the last day I walk in, it won't be the end of the world if I go to mass the next morning. But it is probably a good idea to at least try for the 7:30 pilgrim's mass.
I'm tentatively planning on walking in from O Pedrouzo to Santiago on my last day. Will have to get settled in Albergue/shower, wait in line for Compostela and then mass. The next day I fly out in the early afternoon. I had hoped to have 2 days in Santiago, but I'm running into issues with scheduling stages that are manageable for me.
I am hitting Rabanal, O Cebriero, Samos, and the monastery in Sarria, for masses along the way.
Dear Eve
I encourage you to go to Mass whenever you can. On my Camino France last year I went to Mass wherever it was available at the end of each day, and I found that around two out of every three days I could attend a Pilgrim Mass and Blessing in the city, town or village in whcih I happened to be staying that night. I was pleasantly surprised how many fellow pilgrims I recognised at these Masses. And of course go to the big Pilgrim Mass in Santiago. You will find Confession there too, in English. One more thing; I decided I would go into every open cathedral, church and chapel I passed on the way. Some days there were half a dozen, some none, but every single one was an opportunity for a moment's brief reflection and prayer. And since you are starting in Astorga, do not miss the tiny Ermita del Ecce Homo on the left shortly after you leave Astorga; the inscription on the wall behind the altar, "Ecce Homo, Ecce Deus", was the most profound theology I encountered on the Camino.
Good luck and have a wonderful camino.
MG
I will definitely do this. And I will watch for the one on the way out of Astorga. Thank you!
When you are at the Ecce Homo chapel in Valdeviejas along the camino just outside Astorga
do stop at the tree planted nearby to honor the poignant memory of fellow pilgrim Denise Thiem.
I'm being very idle here, I know ...'but https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/irish-dates.24136/
I'm a Catholic and I highly recommend the Pilgim's Mass. the first time I walked the Camino I was walking with non-religious group and when we arrived at SDC they wanted to go to the Pilgrim's Office to get their certificates. I put my foot down and said I hadn't walked all the way to miss out on the Mass. we went in and ALL were so glad to have gone in. Was simply amazing and definitely something to go to. It capped off the walk brilliantly.Hi there,
I've been lurking here since November when I bought my tickets. I'm leaving for Spain on the 15th of March. I'm 46. I'll be walking mostly alone, although I have a Camino Angel (Julia) from this forum who is meeting up with me for the first two days. <3
I'm starting in Astorga. I'm the mother of many (7, to be exact), so getting away for 4-5 weeks just isn't doable. That said, I'm super grateful for the time I do have.
Somewhere I read that the Pilgrim's Mass is...ummm...not exactly reverent, compared to the smaller masses offered in the side chapels. I'm finalizing my plans and I'm trying to decide if it is important to me to attend an actual Pilgrim's Mass, or if one of these side chapel masses would be better. I'm Catholic, and this is a penitential pilgrimage for me...I'll be lining up for confession as well.
I don't have a lot of time in Santiago...if I don't have to get to mass the same day I arrive, it makes my last walking day a bit easier. That's why I am asking. I'm trying to finalize my stages.
Thanks to you all for all the advice.
And a s/o to SYates...I bought your book on Kindle today. In spite of having read both Brierly and Village to Village, I am finding your book incredibly practical and helpful.
Somewhere I read that the Pilgrim's Mass is...ummm...not exactly reverent, compared to the smaller masses offered in the side chapels. I'm finalizing my plans and I'm trying to decide if it is important to me to attend an actual Pilgrim's Mass, or if one of these side chapel masses would be better. I'm Catholic, and this is a penitential pilgrimage for me...I'll be lining up for confession as well.
I don't have a lot of time in Santiago...if I don't have to get to mass the same day I arrive, it makes my last walking day a bit easier. That's why I am asking. I'm trying to finalize my stages.
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