November 2009 Walk

[sebastianpuss]

Hi all I'm a new member, and am lookin for any advice tips etc from you all.
I plan to walk from Lyon in November 2009, planning to take 3-4 months to walk the 1600km.
Has anyone done this trip over winter?
What should I expect weather wise, accomodation etc.
All comments would be gratefully taken on board.
Also does anyone know if to qualify for having undertaken the pilgrimmage in a Holy year entails starting your pilgrimmage in a Holy Year or ending in a Holy year?
Anthony McLaughlin

 

[sillydoll]

Welcome to the forum Anthony,
I think you are very brave to walk the 1600km in winter. Although this sudden cold front is unusual for October, it'll be a good thing to keep an eye on weather posts from now on to give you some idea of what might be in store for you next year.

You will arrive in Santiago in a Holy Year so that qualifies you for walking in a Holy Year. By the way, you don't have to walk to Santiago to qualify for the plenary indulgences. This is what the Archdiocese has to say about being granted the indulgence:

Conditions to gain the Jubilee
1) To visit the Cathedral, where the Tomb of Saint James the Great lies.
2) To recite a prayer (such as the Creed or the Lord's Prayer praying for His Holiness the Pope). It is recommended to attend the Pilgrims' Mass.
3) To receive the Sacraments of Confession (it may be 15 days before or after) and Communion. Both are responsible for the conversion and the compromise of love to Jesus and our brothers. This is the heritage of Saint James.

The grace of the Jubilee is basically a plenary indulgence for the forgiveness of the punishment our sins deserve.
Indulgences: The Canon Law Code defines them as follows (ch. 992):

"An indulgence is the remission in the sight of God of the temporal punishment due for sins, the guilt of which has already been forgiven. A member of Christ's faithful who is properly disposed and who fulfils certain specific conditions, may gain an indulgence by the help of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the merits of Christ and the Saints."

In order to understand this, we must distinguish between guilt and temporal punishment.

"An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it partially or wholly frees a person from the temporal punishment due for sins." (ch. 993)

The grace of the Jubilee - fulfilling the required conditions - is a plenary indulgence. "All members of the faithful can gain indulgences, partial or plenary, for themselves, or they can apply them by way of suffrage to the dead." (ch. 994)

 

[Bridget and Peter]

Sil quoted:

A member of Christ's faithful who is properly disposed and who fulfils certain specific conditions, may gain an indulgence by the help of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the merits of Christ and the Saints."

"All members of the faithful can gain indulgences, partial or plenary, for themselves, or they can apply them by way of suffrage to the dead." (

I wonder what Luther would have to say about all that? I think perhaps this was one of the three points where he and the Catholic church parted company.

 

[Javier Martin]

Hello Anthony.

Several years ago I found a very young girl who walked from Lyon. She told me than the Caminos in France from Lyon weren't friendly, because there were no signals or arrows and people thought she was a person who lived on the street. So, she decided to walk always with her shell.

When she arrived in Spain everything changed for her.

But It happened about ten years ago, so things can be changed since then.

About the winter, in my opinion is the hardest moment to walk but the best to change your ideas with people. If you speak french or spanish you will enjoy it, people likes to speak with pilgrims who walks in this months.

On winter I don't think you will have any problem. Last holy year, 2004, I walked in february the Camino Portuguese and I did it usually alone, only the last day in Padron we were ... ¡¡7!! pilgrims. So, don't worry for that.

Which point are you planning to cross the frontier? Mountains can be dangerous in winter if snow.

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.