The Camino de Santiago welcomes people from different places, diverse ages, and varying walks of life. In fact, though it has religious historical ties, there are a variety of reasons that people venture out to walk this pilgrimage. While making the voyage, one may simply find joy in the physicality of it, sacred time of personal reflection, growth in faith, or perhaps even just an awe for the surrounding creation.
There are seven main routes shown in the map above from stingynomads.com. Some stay solely in Spain, while others span from the Pyrenees of France or up the coast of Portugal. The Camino Finisterre distinguishes itself by heading away from the city of Santiago rather than towards it like the rest, going west to the Atlantic coast. It was believed by pagans that the sun died at the end of this route. On the Costa de Morte, Cabo Finisterre was thought to be the end of the world.
The name of this pilgrimage translates to “the Way of Saint James” due to the historical significance tied to it. It is believed that one of Jesus’ twelve disciples named James, son of Zebedee was found in northwest Spain and buried in the Santiago cathedral built by King Alfonso II in his honor. Celebrated by the church, the feast of Saint James is a recognized commemoration on July 25th and only every few years does this holiday land on a Sunday. According to caminoways.com, “Two facts make a Jacobean Year [or Holy Year] special for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago:
- The Holy Door in Santiago’s Cathedral, the Porta Santa, located in the Praza da Quintana, is only open for Jacobean Years and remains open the whole year. It is officially opened on 31 December, the last day of the previous year.
- A full plenary indulgence can be obtained, forgiving all the sins. To qualify, pilgrims must visit the cathedral, pray, and attend Mass. They should have also gone to Confession within the 15 days before the trip or after the visit to the Cathedral.”
Whether or not you are voyaging the Camino for faith reasons, you can still grab a special passport or “credencial” to keep track of your distance traveled and collect cool stamps to accompany your memories made on the journey. You can walk, sail, ride horseback, bike, and use a wheelchair through the Camino. There are many possibilities.
The significance of this voyage is that there are many people who are seeking for healing, purpose, and truth which is a commonality within the human experience. With that said, it is important for those of us who are followers of Jesus to take the time to notice and engage with those who are placed on our path, wherever that may be. Why it is special specifically for Jesus followers to walk the Camino is because it is a unique opportunity to get to listen to the stories of others as well as reflect on and share ours. Pilgrim House exists at the end of the Camino, holding the belief that God is already in pursuit of and working in the lives of pilgrims. Their hope is to foster a space that feels comfortable and safe, while offering opportunities to engage in deeper concepts and providing practical needs/ resources. Pilgrim House engages in the work of Jesus, meeting people where they are at and offering them compassion and assistance. Through our questioning and wondering, God invites all people to receive the love that he so freely gives, and to participate in redemptive work within creation. His love is truly transformative. Whether we are on the Camino or involved in mundane tasks such as grocery shopping, will we choose to say yes?
¡Buen camino!
References:
https://followtheyellowshell.com/camino-de-santiago-statistics-2022/
https://caminoways.com/the-history-of-the-camino-de-santiago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Finisterre
Website where map was found: https://stingynomads.com/camino-de-santiago-routes/#:~:text=The%20seven%20main%20Camino%20de%20Santiago%20routes,-There%20are%20seven&text=James%3B%20Camino%20Frances%20(the%20French,)%20and%20Camino%20Finisterre%2DMux%C3%ADa.