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Home , Botafumeiro, Order of Santiago, Santiago de Compostela

Camino de – Journal Update 24 This week: 4.9 miles ! Total Miles: Contact us at [email protected] and visit us at www.sjnparish.org/camino-de-santiago/ 483.7

Roadside We left the last small village on our journey — a bit sad but also incredibly excited memorials to reach our destination. We have walked so long; anticipated so much. Along this that we short walk of less than 5 miles, we passed our final roadside memorial — one of the will miss! Sacred Heart of . Beautiful and humble. These roadside memorials (of Jesus, the crucifix, Mary, various saints, past…) have been inspiring and encourag- ing. Nearly all cause us to pause, recall the purpose of our journey and give thanks to God. We will miss these when we return home. Arrival — Santiago de Compostela! We arrived at the UNESCO World Heritage of Santiago de Compostela — ‘St. James of the Field of Stars’! We not only arrived, but we arrived in a special year for our : we arrived at St. James’ burial site, the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela in a Jacobean Holy Year! A Holy Year on the Camino is a year when the feast of St. James, July 25, falls on a Sunday. As a general rule, these years occur in a sequence of five, six and eleven years. And 2021 is a Holy Year! Because St. James is the patron saint of the Camino and pilgrims, this is always a cause for celebration, a tradition that started in 1126 by Pope Callisto. The last was 2010. Due to COVID-19, Pope Francis has extended the Holy Year to include 2021 and 2022. The Catedral stands on the hill where Santiago’s (St. James’) tomb was discovered in the 9th C, buried there since the 1st C on an already-known Iron Age and Roman-era burial hill. News quick- ly spread of the tomb’s discovery and pilgrims were making their way across Europe. Initially, there was a small church that covered the tomb, but each century called for a larger church. The that we visit today was built from 1075 to 1188. It is Romanesque in style. The city was not only as we imagined, it was even better — the streets, buildings, passageways, stone walls, symbols of pagan Galician folklore… all made obvious that Santiago de Compostela was here before St. James was. That alone caused us to pause and absorb all that was before us and the magnitude of our pilgrimage. We even heard the famed bagpiper playing Galician folk tunes! We had heard about him, but did not really expect to experience it. We did. Importantly, though, we were compelled to find the marker that is the center-point of this me- dieval city and considered the Santiago de Compo- stela ‘zero-kilometer marker’ — we wanted to make the end of our journey official and that began at the mark- er which is in the heart of medieval Santiago de Compostela! (There is an official 0 Km in the ocean-side town of Finisterre (“end-of-the-world”). We headed straight for the Plaza de Obradoiro which faces the west en- trance of the Catedral de Santiago, our actual destination, the burial site of St. James, the Apostle! It was an incredible experience, the completion of our journey was becoming official. We spent time in the main plaza soaking it all in. We made it. We made it. It was exhilarating! Medieval pilgrims gathered here and spent their first night in the city keeping vigil in the plaza or inside at the high altar. Many historic buildings are on the square around the Catedral, but we had our most important stop to make first, namely, visiting our patron, St. James! We began by simply admiring the Catedral — Rising above the Plaza del Obradoiro which is the cathedral’s , added in the mid-18th century, a statue of the Saint James presides over the square and flanking his sides, two pairs of angels holding the cross of the . Just below Saint James, his disciples Atanasio and Teodoro protect the urn that represents Santiago’s sepulcher; and in between them, a star that represents the dancing lights that the Hermit Pelayo witnessed nearly 900 years ago (lending to the name, ‘field of stars’). However, because it is a Holy Year, we decided that our first entry to the Catedral must be through the Holy Door. The Holy Door is actually located in Quintana Square, on the back side of the Catedral. We headed there first rather than going through the front entrance. The Holy Door was opened on Before opening: the Holy Door and wall are December 31, 2020, the eve of this protected by a metal gate. Holy Year, by the archbishop of The archbishop opens the door. Santiago. The ritual is for the arch- bishop to knock on the wall that We see the door from the inside looking out. covers the Holy Door with a hammer. Then the wall is fully knocked down and removed to allow pilgrims to enter. Having our sins forgiven by walking through the door was an amazing and a remarkable way to complete our pilgrimage*! The Holy Door of the Santiago Ca- thedral is also known as the Door of Mercy or the Porta Santa. It is fascinating in itself. The outer door surround is beautifully carved and an image of Santiago with his disciples stands over the top of the door, and many smaller carved fig- ures are to either side of the door. *To obtain forgiveness of sins, pilgrims must: Make confession and communion, fifteen days before or after the visit of the Cathedral, visit the Cathedral of Santiago, pray for the Pope's intentions (for example, an Our Father, Hail Mary, etc.) (It is not necessary to complete the pilgrimage to receive the plenary indulgence.) The typical entry door, particularly not in a Holy Year, is the western entrance, the Portico de Obradoiro, the 12th C Baroque entrance which was built over/in front of the Portico de la Gloria — the stonework is remark- able. In essence, the 12th C cathedral absorbed the places around it… what was once outside is now often inside. Over the centuries, more chapels were added and the cathedral expanded even more. Oh, we enjoyed the Portico de al Gloria! We could only imagine how overcome the medieval pilgrims must have felt upon entering through this door. It was awe-inspiring for us. Santiago greets pilgrims with is halo of semi-precious stones. Above him is Christ in Majesty surrounded by the four evangelists,

and the arch above them is dominated by the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse in joyous music-making and celestial play. We felt their joy at our arrival! Below Santiago is the Tree of Jesse, showing Jesus’ lineage from King David. To the left, depictions from the Old Testament and to the right, scenes from heaven and hell. Inside, straight ahead we could see a large Romanesque jewel and gold-covered statue of Santiago sitting in the center of the high altar! The Altar Mayor (High Altar) is truly something to behold! A Baroque master- piece of craftsmanship, the baldacchino (canopy) was erected directly above the crypt and completely finished in gold leaf. Bearing its weight are four larger-than-life angels floating above the altar. Crowning each of the corners are The Four Virtues (Prudence, Fortitude, Justice and Temperance). Additionally, three portrayals of Saint James decorate the canopy as well: Santiago Matamoros, the Moor-Slayer who aided the Christian battle with the ; Santiago Peregrino is his finest pilgrim attire including a hat and walking staff with a gourd; and Santiago Apostol, Saint James the Greater, one of Jesus’ original Twelve Apostles peers out from a room adorned in sil- ver and gold. Next we climbed the small staircase behind the Altar Mayor to hug our patron — see photo with orange- sleeved arms coming from behind —and whispered our thanks and special, personal messages. It was an unbe- lievable moment. We really had reached our Patron! We learned that medieval pilgrims would place their hat on his head and their cloak over his shoulders. But, truth be told, the most sacred moment was visiting Santiago’s crypt. The silver reliquary holds St. James’ remains and also those of two devout disciples, Atanasio and Teodoro, who brought his body to Iberia and buried him here. We stayed here longer than most and quietly said our own prayers, thanks for a successful journey, support for the intentions we have prayed on our pilgrimage, personal prayer and a communal prayer for his apostleship. We attended Mass at noon, finding seating in the nave and admiring the church surrounding us and the ornate ceiling above.

In the cathedral’s transept hangs the , a 175 lb, 5-foot high swinging ( burner) made of with silver plating. It is believed to be the largest censer in the world. A botfumerio has been in the cathedral since the ! This is the third one as the second one was taken by ’s troops in the early 19th C. It is tethered with ropes to an overhead pulley and manned by eight clergymen, tiraboleiros, needed to swing it. The censer is swung from one end of the transept to the other dur- ing Mass, which we attended that day at noon. Higher and higher it swung

until it seemed it would scrape the ceiling arcades on either side. It is suspended from a height of 65 feet and can reach speeds greater than 40 miles per hour. See this video to experience this amazing censer and tradi- tion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45fNNo77WUU To witness this extraordinary feat was profoundly moving. It marked and marks a pivotal moment for all pilgrims — despite this being the end of the Camino, it’s also a beginning—a renewed sense of self, a new purpose, a unique accomplishment!

Our time at the Catedral was wonderful — we took our time, savored every inch. Beautiful art, ancient statues, vibrant stained glass… a sacred space. We spent time in the famous Mercado de Abastos market (we love them!) — a great place to decelerate from the emotions that had swirled through us at the Catedral. The market was estab- lished in the 19th C as away to pull together several markets across town. This is one of the most distinctive and colorful markets in , both the covered and open-air sections. We found everything there: souvenirs, picnic items from local cheeses, sausages, meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, vegetables… even special elixirs! The Museo de las Peregrinaciones y de Santiago was amazing! It is difficult to describe this collection of art and history. We saw a magnificent gold-hued plate print of an early Game of Goose, medieval instruments, archaeological artifacts and so much more! Check out these exhibits!

We spent a day making an excursion We visited the Iglesia de Santa Maria del to Petroglifo de Castrino de Conxo with its nearly 3,000-year-old petro- Sar— like a smaller scale of the Catedral in a glyph which dates from the late style similar to Portico de la Gloria. Beauti- Bronze Age or early Iron Age. We saw ful! This church was also associated with images engraved on a large gray gran- the Templars. It’s named after one of Santi- ite rock face… images of a hybrid bird/ ago’s two rivers (the Sar and the Sarela), man with a human-sized bird body, outstretched wings, and a human and its nearness to the banks of the Sar has, head. He appears to wear a crown or sadly, compromised its stability so that it perhaps has an aura or rays emitting from his head — he’s surrounded by daggers. It was SO COOL. We were very happy that we made this excur- sion which reminded us that prehistor- ic man, ancient man and our fellow brothers and sisters today have found Photo by Lansbricae these lands home and welcomed so- (Luis Leclere). journers like us!

looks like a ship slowly sinking into the waters — and probably explains those huge buttresses! The church had a mysti- cal feel — providing just the atmosphere for us to stay quite a while and contem- plate the journey, the pilgrimage, we have been on. We said our final prayers of thanks to Our Blessed Mother

and for the sup- port of our patron, Saint James!

Celebration! Mardi Gras — ‘Carnaval’! Fiestas de Carnaval is upon us and WE ARE HERE to enjoy it! Walking around the streets of Santiago de Compostela, we can feel the change in atmosphere building up with excitement for the celebrations. Like most festivals here in Spain, the Fiestas de Carnaval or the Carnival Festival is a religious holiday and this one is in preparation for the 40 days of . The word Carnival is thought to originate from the phrase “farewell to the flesh,” addressing the prohibition of meat during Lent. The revelry aspect of the tradition is thought to go back to the Romans and one of their many wild fetes called Saturnalia. This holiday, like most Roman festivities, included dancing, drinking and an abundance of eating. (Spanish Dictator Franco banned the entire country from celebrating Carnival during his reign as it was such a wild celebration — no sense of fun, it seems!) In Santiago de Compostela, Antroido or Entroido as it is called in Gallego, is celebrated over the 4 days pre- ceding Ash Wednesday, so we arrived just in time! Who knew? The focus on preparing their hearty Caldo Gallego soup, which, of course we tried and loved! It consists of potatoes, greens and for this special honoring, cacheiras, or salted pigs heads! (That part wasn’t as great.) We also found the shops filled with the very delicious Galician filloas, savoury crepes made from wheat flour and lard (yes, fat, but ever-so-tasty and we felt totally earned after our days of walking and hiking!), together with other pastry-like treats such as orejas (ears). The biggest day of the festival is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. A parade takes place with large floats being carried through the streets by the sounds of brass bands with dancers, jugglers and actors performing on top. The long standing tradition of Carnival is fancy dress, similar to the Mardi Gras style of masks, make up and costumes. Those participating in the parade are dressed-up as well as those in attendance enjoying the festivities. Face painting, costume dressing, disguises, confetti and streamers are all part of the jubilation. It is a very colorful celebration and anything goes! On Ash Wednesday, the tradition of burning the Meco takes place following a satirical procession. The Meco is a doll that represents the Carnival and this custom takes place in the smaller square of O Toural here in Santiago de Compostela. This day concludes with the Entieroo de la Sardina, or Burial of the Sardine, which is a laugh at a sardine’s funeral symbolizing the restriction of meat during Lent and the consumption of fish only. After our pilgrimage and final celebration, we will be ready for Lent! Thank you for journeying on this pilgrimage with us!

Source: Camino de Santiago – Sacred Sites, Historic Villages; A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago; Village to Village Guide Camino de Santiago; andaspain.com/blog/fiestas-de-carnaval/