Pilgrim blessings and church services

[Tonm]

How do you get aware about pilgrim blessings and church services during the camino. Is there somewhere an overview of these activities?

Thanks

 

[mspath]

How do you get aware about pilgrim blessings and church services during the camino. Is there somewhere an overview of these activities?

Thanks

Tonm,

The Pilgrim Office of the Cathedral of Santiago have this multi lingual website >>
http://www.peregrinossantiago.es/

On their Preparation page is a useful English discussion regarding Mass on the Camino >> http://peregrinossantiago.es/eng/prepar ... on-camino/. Once on this Preparation page be sure to click again to see a Map of all churches on the Camino which have daily masses.

Created 2010/updated 2012 in Google maps this map will appear in a separate widow entitled Parroquias de los Caminos de Santiago . Organized east to west by parish it cites opening times for the churches and gives the current mass times as of 2012. You can copy the map as a KML file to then add to your own set of Google maps for further reference while walking. Or you can click print to make a continuous flat copy with a wealth of reference data.

Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[JabbaPapa]

How do you get aware about pilgrim blessings and church services during the camino. Is there somewhere an overview of these activities?

Not really, no, except at Roncesvalles and Santiago.

Others do exist -- but there seems to be some kind of tendency to hide them from the "tourigrinos".

I'm not sure if you're Catholic -- but if so, I would advise seeking a pilgrim's blessing from your own priest and in your own Parish.

You might possibly encounter some reticence -- but prepare yourself with a good text, insist, and Ultreia !!!

 

[scruffy1]

Overview? Just ask at the albergue-the hospitalaire will usually have all the information-when where-etc often posted on the board. Getting harder and harder to find a priest - not as rare as say in France where priests say mass every other Sunday even in good sized places - but there will be plenty of opportunities-one of my favorites is in Carrión de los Condes, the nuns at Santa Maria share a light dinner followed by the blessing very warm and welcoming including those of other faiths.

 

[createspace]

I just returned July 5, 2013 and I asked at the albergue is there was a pilgrim's Mass and they would let me know the time and place. There were many along the way usually at 6 or 8 PM. I think at every pilgrim Mass they asked the pilgrim's to come up for a blessing. The priests would ask you to pray for them and their church when you reached Santiago.

 

[crackmrmac]

The priests would ask you to pray for them and their church when you reached Santiago.

Yes indeed. Lots of different Spanish citizens mention this. The nuns in Sahagun & Leon always ask this favour.

 

[Rambler]

When we did our Camino in 2008, we went to mass every evening. Had no problems finding the closet one from the hospitaleros. We also got out blessing at home from our parish priest at a mass. He himself just finished the Camino this year!
Rambler

 

[oursonpolaire]

Signing at Spanish churches is uneven and sometimes the hospitalero will not know when evening masses. Remember that Spain, which a very RC country, has a strong anti-clerical element, and many people will have no idea about when church services happen. However, ask around, especially near the church, and you'll be given the information you need. In most village churches, the rosary is said by volunteers about 20 minutes before the mass. In my experience, congregants have been delightfully warm and welcoming-- they appreciate it greatly when pilgrims attend.

 

[Alexster66]

Thank you so much Margaret, it's exactly what I've been looking for. The site is great and have printed out a copy of the mass times to peruse.
Buen Camino
Alex

 

[colinPeter]

....one of my favorites is in Carrión de los Condes...quote]
Yes, Carrión de los Condes has a very good pilgrim mass.
Buen Camino
Colin

 

[SYates]

A very useful website, but unfortunately only in Spanish, is also http://www.misas.org/ They have a section here: http://www.misas.org/docs/ordinario-idiomas where you can download the mass text - including bilingual versions ;-) SY

 

[IngridF]

Signing at Spanish churches is uneven and sometimes the hospitalero will not know when evening masses. Remember that Spain, which a very RC country, has a strong anti-clerical element, and many people will have no idea about when church services happen. However, ask around, especially near the church, and you'll be given the information you need. In most village churches, the rosary is said by volunteers about 20 minutes before the mass. In my experience, congregants have been delightfully warm and welcoming-- they appreciate it greatly when pilgrims attend.

Yes, that was my experience too. My first pilgrims mass wasn't until Los Arcos (I did not overnight in Roncesvalles) and somehow missed them for a while. I decided to go on inside of Santa Maria a bit ahead of time to be able to take some photographs. The church is beautiful, serene and welcoming. Not many pilgrims were inside, but there were about 2 or 3 sitting in the pews and all of a sudden, one of the pilgrims sang Ave Maria. The acoustic in this church is breathtaking. Her voice was so angelic, it was magical. The church was filling up with local folks and I realized I had taken a permanent seat of one woman and started to get up to find another seat. Ah, but no, she insisted for me to stay, everyone shuffled a seat, and she held my hand the whole time during the rosary, while moving the beads along with the other hand. All this time the light was very dim in the church and night was approaching, and what little light that was coming from the windows, was fading and by the time the priest and his helpers entered the church, it was rather dark. "click, click, click and someone turned on the lights. In an instant, all you saw was blinding shining light from the alter. I don't particular recall the version of pilgrims blessing we got that evening (they seem to vary by the style of the priest performing), but the overall experience was something that moved me to tears, moved my heart and from then on, it felt right to attend pilgrims mass whenever possible. Pretty soon, I too was praying the Rosary - in Spanish. I do not speak Spanish, but I prayed Spanish.

It was easy to go to church in Spain, eventually the faith of the people move you, there is an energy that spills over and you are embraced by it. Each church is different, but each time, I felt very welcomed as a pilgrim. The older folks love us, I had a list of names by the time I reached Santiago, with their request to hug the Saint for them. I did, my second early morning, when hardly anyone is in the cathedral, I read their names out loud whilst touching the Saint.

I don't think you have to be religious in any way to feel the blessings bestowed. However, if you are, you are in for a gift.