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Amigos Edition 22 - Confraternity of St. James South Africa

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<strong>Amigos</strong><br />

<strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong><br />

in this issue...<br />

From a Quiet Rut to a<br />

Busy Camino<br />

by Ron Teire (Born: 4/3/1925)<br />

Le Mont-<strong>St</strong>. Michel - Spectacular<br />

Vision <strong>of</strong> the New Jerusalem<br />

by Heinrich Brumfield<br />

Message for the Opening <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Compostela Holy Year - Vatican<br />

edition no. <strong>22</strong><br />

march 2010


Outdoor & Equipment<br />

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For more info on a stockist near you<br />

visit www.firstascent.co.za or phone 021-787 9380<br />

From the Editor’s Desk<br />

Silvia Nilsen Ron Teire (84) Dieter Daehnke<br />

Pat Foure<br />

<strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

Dear Pilgrim Friends,<br />

Any publication is as good as the amount <strong>of</strong><br />

planning, teamwork, research, investigation,<br />

interpretation and pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism that it gets from<br />

its contributors and editorial team.<br />

Similar to our well-organized <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong>, <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>, <strong>Amigos</strong> is establishing itself<br />

as a publication that carries the essence <strong>of</strong> the Camino Experiences <strong>of</strong><br />

our members that reside across the world.<br />

The HOLY year that <strong>of</strong>ficially started when the Holy door to the<br />

Cathedral in Santiago was opened with the knocking over <strong>of</strong> the brick<br />

wall with the staff <strong>of</strong> Archbishop Julian Barrio <strong>of</strong> Santiago de Compostela,<br />

Spain, presented us with a brand new opportunity to convey the<br />

Spirit Of The Way.<br />

In <strong>Edition</strong> <strong>22</strong> we begin to shift our focus to the HOLY YEAR as one <strong>of</strong> the<br />

aspects that kept the Spirit <strong>of</strong> The Camino alive for hundreds <strong>of</strong> years.<br />

From the many paths that lead to Santiago, we follow the Camino<br />

Aragones to where it connects with the Camino Francés in Puenta la<br />

Reina and we cross Northern Spain with Dieter Daehnke who shows us<br />

what it is like to walk the Camino Francés during winter-time.<br />

Please enjoy reading <strong>Amigos</strong>, <strong>Edition</strong> <strong>22</strong>.<br />

Abie Martin<br />

Meet some <strong>of</strong> our contributors to this edition<br />

John Joyce Heinrich Brumfield<br />

3


<strong>Amigos</strong><br />

From the Chairman<br />

Dear Pilgrim Friends,<br />

As new Chairman <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>. <strong>James</strong>’s <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>,<br />

I sincerely thank Heinrich Brumfield, chairman for the last three years,<br />

for all the hard work and effort he has put into the <strong>Confraternity</strong>.<br />

Under his guidance, we became a well-organized and thriving<br />

organization. With the support <strong>of</strong> our members, sub committees and<br />

regional representatives, we will continue to grow the <strong>Confraternity</strong>, not<br />

only in numbers, but also in strength, assisting our members/pilgrims to<br />

equip themselves with the knowledge they need to set them on their next<br />

Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. I also thank our new Vice<br />

Chairman, Mark Pickering, our Treasurer Andree Lombard and Editor<br />

Abie Martin for making themselves available for <strong>of</strong>fice. Once again, we<br />

have a strong, well-skilled team, equipped to take the <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>.<br />

<strong>James</strong> forward.<br />

With 2010 being a Holy Year, we have already seen an enormous jump<br />

in new memberships and membership renewals and we anticipate an<br />

extremely busy year ahead. Our “new look” 2010 pilgrim passports,<br />

depicting the 2010 logo, have sparked great interest with international<br />

Confraternities. We are, as far as I know, the only <strong>Confraternity</strong> to use the<br />

2010 logo on our passports. We gratefully thank the Spanish Arch<br />

<strong>Confraternity</strong> in Santiago de Compostela, for granting us the privilege to<br />

use it during the HOLY YEAR. One <strong>of</strong> our many success stories<br />

during 2009 was our photographic competition. It brought us our very<br />

first Camino Desk Calendar and I urge all pilgrims to participate in 2010.<br />

In so doing you not only share your Camino experiences with us, but all<br />

photographs submitted are regularly reviewed by the editorial team as an<br />

invaluable source <strong>of</strong> material for use in our <strong>Amigos</strong> Publication and on<br />

our Website. A substantial amount were budgeted so that our librarian,<br />

Elmara Willis, can expand our library through purchasing new and<br />

recently published books for exclusive use by our members. I also urge<br />

our members to donate any Camino related books that are gathering<br />

dust on your shelves so that they can be available for borrowing by other<br />

interested members. Included in our pilgrim passport package <strong>of</strong>fering<br />

is our brand-new luggage label. Extremely attractive, they will greatly<br />

enhance the look <strong>of</strong> your backpacks while walking.<br />

Buen Camino!<br />

Fran Parsons<br />

4 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong><br />

04<br />

Main Articles<br />

06<br />

08<br />

09<br />

11<br />

14<br />

16<br />

18<br />

<strong>22</strong><br />

23<br />

From the Chairman<br />

<strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

CONTENTS<br />

From quiet rut to busy Camino - by Ron Tiere (84)<br />

My Lesson from my Dad’s Camino - by Pat Foure<br />

Memoirs for John Joyce, a Camino Veteran - by Sylvia Nilsen<br />

Reflections on my Winter Walk - by Dieter Daehnke<br />

2010 Holy Year Camino Poster - by Sylvia Nilsen<br />

The American Connection - by Ed Tennyson<br />

Le Mont-Saint-Michel Gothic Wonder<br />

Spectacular Vision <strong>of</strong> “The New Jerusalem” - by Heinrich Brumfield<br />

<strong>Confraternity</strong> News<br />

25<br />

26<br />

27<br />

Reflections: “This too shall pass” - by Fr. Frank de Gouveia<br />

Routes: Lourdes to Pamplona on the Aragones Route - by Sylvia Nilsen<br />

National<br />

Member <strong>St</strong>atistics<br />

Photo <strong>St</strong>ories<br />

Patron <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>. <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong><br />

Regional<br />

28 Gauteng<br />

International<br />

29 News from Spain and the Camino<br />

31 News from other Confraternities<br />

32 The Marketplace<br />

Camino News<br />

32<br />

Books, CD and DVD Reviews<br />

34 Pilgrim Images - Past and Present<br />

5


From quiet rut to busy<br />

Camino by Ron Tiere (84)<br />

“Each day, although going<br />

<strong>of</strong>f alone, I was soon joined<br />

by fellow travelers, most not<br />

going much quicker than me“<br />

In my eighty-fifth summer, I was living quietly, but kept busy as the<br />

main carer <strong>of</strong> my disabled wife. Then, we had a whirlwind visit from<br />

our Cape Town daughter Pat, who was on her way to a pilgrimage across<br />

Northern Spain. It was to take her six weeks and for the final week her<br />

son’s German girlfriend, Jen with her mother, Birgit were joining her for<br />

the last 120kms.<br />

At once she saw that I needed a break and a jolt out <strong>of</strong> my rut. So, within<br />

twelve hours, my wife was booked into a nursing home for a week and I<br />

was booked on to the same flight to Santiago as Jen and Birgit.<br />

Although I had previously enjoyed many walking trips, including several<br />

cross Scotland hikes and a Giant’s Cup trail, my increased daily<br />

responsibilities in the last couple <strong>of</strong> years had left me with little surplus<br />

energy and leisure time for either walking or even my usual golf, so I<br />

needed to spend the next month in some urgent fitness training. My<br />

training started badly and on my first walk I managed to trip up and was<br />

most embarrassed by the time it took to get myself back on my feet! It<br />

very soon became apparent that I wouldn’t manage the scheduled 20km<br />

daily walks and realising this, Pat increased her daily walks to enable her<br />

to complete her pilgrimage a week early. She was therefore able to meet<br />

our plane in Santiago and accompany us back to Sarria, 120km to the<br />

east and cover this stretch again.<br />

Each day, although setting <strong>of</strong>f alone, I was soon joined by a stream <strong>of</strong><br />

fellow travelers, most not going much quicker than me. Pat had sent me<br />

e-mails giving details <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the interesting people <strong>of</strong> all<br />

nationalities she’d met and I was pleased to meet some <strong>of</strong> them and<br />

Ron in Santiago chatting to a Norwegian lady pilgrim<br />

they and Pat were happy to meet again. They included a couple who had<br />

started from Alsace in May with their donkey. They would reach<br />

Santiago in late September after 5 months and countless kilometres -<br />

some pilgrimage! Another unusual fellow traveler was a severely<br />

disabled man with a group <strong>of</strong> helpers. He was conveyed on an<br />

interesting carriage. It had one wheel over which he was perched, two<br />

men were walking alongside and keeping him upright while in front, a<br />

man was harnessed to pull and behind<br />

similarly another pushed like a<br />

wheelbarrow. They were making very<br />

good progress and he was well cared for at<br />

night. Our one night <strong>of</strong> luxury, not spent in<br />

bunk beds, we enjoyed the <strong>South</strong><br />

<strong>Africa</strong>n hospitality <strong>of</strong> Gordon Bell, who<br />

was renovating an old farm house into<br />

comfortable accommodation on the route.<br />

Summing up, I had a great holiday with<br />

enjoyable company, meeting interesting<br />

people and went home much improved in<br />

health and mind. Also my wife was very<br />

pleased to get back home again after her<br />

week in the nursing home. She now<br />

appreciates my caring efforts more than<br />

ever.<br />

Ron Teire<br />

Born : 4/3/1925<br />

Leaving the pack for Pat in Melide.<br />

6 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

7


My Lesson from my Dad’s Camino<br />

by Pat Foure<br />

When I met Dad in<br />

Santiago for his<br />

Camino I had just<br />

completed my month<br />

on the road. My Camino<br />

had been about the<br />

physical challenge <strong>of</strong><br />

walking every inch <strong>of</strong><br />

the Way carrying my<br />

own pack, together with<br />

the spiritual acceptance<br />

<strong>of</strong> reaching retirement.<br />

Dad and I with Jen &<br />

Birgit started out from<br />

Sarria, and reached<br />

Casa Banderas as<br />

planned for our first<br />

night together on the<br />

road. On arrival, I<br />

started by apologizing<br />

for the fact that Dad<br />

and I had taxied the<br />

first steep hills and just<br />

walked the final 8kms<br />

Arriving in Santiago - Birgit, Ron. Jen and Pat<br />

through to Vilachá. I<br />

was immediately silenced by Maggie, the lovely New Zealander who<br />

was helping Gordon Bell at his Albergue. She reminded me that we all<br />

have our own Camino’s and no Camino is more or less worthwhile than<br />

anyone else’s. Each one must be respected.<br />

Dad’s Camino was about the enjoyment <strong>of</strong> the Galician countryside, the<br />

simplicity <strong>of</strong> life on the road with just a few essentials in your pack, and<br />

the social interactions with us three lady fellow travelers and the<br />

fascinating pilgrims he met along the road. I hope that this journey<br />

helped to renew his enthusiasm and energies for the demanding physical<br />

responsibilities <strong>of</strong> caring so well for my mother.<br />

Well done Dad - not just for a good Camino - but also for your gentle,<br />

patient and loving journey through life.<br />

Memoirs for John Joyce,<br />

a Camino Veteran by Sylvia Nilsen<br />

You are never too old to walk the Camino!<br />

Since walking his first Camino in 2001<br />

at the age <strong>of</strong> 68, John has become a<br />

‘Camino-holic’. His favourite routes are<br />

the Primitivo and the Fistera-Muxia route<br />

which he does every year.<br />

Besides walking Camino routes, in<br />

2003 he joined Sylvia Nilsen to walk<br />

with the Breaking Free relay team from<br />

Durban to Cape Town in aid <strong>of</strong> abused<br />

women and children.<br />

In 2004 he tackled the Via Francigena<br />

from Lake Geneva to Rome. The 1800km<br />

VF starts in Canterbury and ends in<br />

Rome so the following year John decided<br />

to do the first half <strong>of</strong> the VF from<br />

Canterbury to Geneva.<br />

He then continued to Le Puy and down<br />

to Irun following the Camino Norte to<br />

Santiago - and Fistera-Muxia - an<br />

uber-marathon trek <strong>of</strong> about 3500km.<br />

He started walking the John O Groats to<br />

Lands End in April 2006 but bad weather<br />

forced him to abandon the walk.<br />

He flew to Italy and joined a group walking the Via Romea from Naples<br />

to Rome. In 2008, at age 75, he collapsed after running a marathon in<br />

Pietermaritzburg.<br />

His heart stopped and paramedics and a cardiologist worked on him for<br />

9 minutes before getting his heart beating again.<br />

He spent a week in hospital and a few months convalescing before<br />

tackling the Caminho Portuguese from Lagos in the south to Santiago as<br />

well as the Camino Ingles and down to Finisterre and Muxia.<br />

This year is a big year for John. After doing the Two-Oceans half<br />

marathon he will fly to Spain to walk the Madrid Route. In November,<br />

after he turns 77, he is planning on tackling the Annapurna circuit in<br />

Nepal.<br />

8 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

9


John Joyce’s Remarkable Camino Circuit<br />

2001 Camino Frances: Roncesvalles to Finisterre & muxia.<br />

Then to Fatima and back<br />

2002 Via de la Plata from Seville and on to Finisterre & Muxia<br />

2003 Camino Frances from Roncesvalles to Finisterre.<br />

2004 Geneva to Rome on the Via Francigena<br />

2005 Canterbury to Geneva - to Le Puy - to Irun - Camino Norte to<br />

Santiago then to Finisterre and Muxia<br />

2006 Via Romea from Naples to Rome<br />

2007 Lourdes to Santiago on the Aragones Route then Finisterre and<br />

Muxia<br />

2008 Lagos, Lisbon, Fatima to Santiago. A Coruna and el Ferrol to<br />

Santiago and Finisterre and Muxia<br />

2009 Camino Frances from Burgos, Primitivo to Santiago then Finisterre<br />

and Muxia<br />

2010 Will start the Madrid route to Sahagun on 29th April. He intends<br />

going to <strong>St</strong> Jean Pied de Port to walk the ‘first half’ <strong>of</strong> the Camino<br />

again, then get a bus or train to Santiago.<br />

You are never too old to walk the Camino!<br />

Thu 11 February 2010<br />

Alasdar MacCana <strong>of</strong> Galway in Ireland. thought to be one <strong>of</strong> the oldest<br />

pilgrims to walk the Camino, passed away last week.<br />

He would have been 102 years old on Tuesday. He remained physically<br />

adroit and was regularly seen walking from his home at Portacarron into<br />

the village <strong>of</strong> Oughterard. At the age <strong>of</strong> 97 he travelled to Northern Spain<br />

with his son to complete the 100-mile Santiago de Compostela<br />

pilgrimage, covering ten miles a day over ten days.<br />

Alasdar had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and completed a computer<br />

course last year driven by an ambition to start his own business as an<br />

educational adviser. He had also started to learn Ancient Greek.<br />

10 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong><br />

Reflections on my Winter Walk<br />

by Dieter Daehnke<br />

What is it like to walk<br />

the Camino Francés in<br />

winter? One thing is<br />

certain. It is very<br />

different from walking<br />

in summer.<br />

had the good<br />

I fortune to walk in<br />

September 2009 from<br />

Fromista to Santiago<br />

de Compostela and I<br />

enjoyed every minute<br />

<strong>of</strong> it.<br />

The weather was kind<br />

to me, with very little<br />

rain near Triacastela.<br />

By end January this year, my wife and I had to travel to Germany for<br />

family reasons and I decided to take the opportunity to walk the Camino<br />

France’s either from <strong>St</strong> Jean Pied de Port (snow on Pyrenees permitting) or<br />

from Roncesvalles to Fromista - in order to complete the total length <strong>of</strong><br />

the Camino. Obviously, everyone thought I was mad, choosing the worst<br />

European winter recorded for decades was very questionable.<br />

For me it was either now or not at all this year - being the holy year with<br />

about 4 times more pilgrims expected on the road. I had most gear from<br />

the September walk to which I added thermal underwear, fleece and<br />

waterpro<strong>of</strong> boots. Sleeping bag yes or no was my most difficult decision.<br />

I am claustrophobic in a closed up bag and need to spread out for space<br />

and temperature control purposes.<br />

I finally bought a totally zip - open synthetic bag, good enough for<br />

12deg plus conditions. It was an essential choice, most albergues switch<br />

on their heaters at 17.00 and switch <strong>of</strong>f again during nighttime from<br />

<strong>22</strong>.00hrs. Therefore, you can imagine the temperature in dormitories as<br />

morning approaches.<br />

Some albergues had blankets - but not all, so thermal underwear was<br />

<strong>of</strong>ten a 24-hour necessity. Leaving Roncesvalles at 8am on the 6th<br />

February, (the Pyrenees were snowed under) it drizzled throughout the<br />

day and any walking <strong>of</strong>f the tar road was either through snow and ice or<br />

through very muddy sections.<br />

<strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

11


The next day to Pamplona - Cezur Menor was blessed with sunshine and<br />

I was again cursed with mud in places. The following days presented<br />

frost, snowing, drizzle rain, etc.<br />

All in all we had 2 days sunshine, 6 days drizzle rain, 6 days snow, with<br />

& without actual snowing. Temperatures at daytimes were between +7<br />

and -5 degrees C.<br />

But how beautiful can a landscape with snow be! Especially when one is<br />

all alone and just hears the footsteps squashing the snow or crushing the<br />

ice and the rustle <strong>of</strong> the hood around the ears. It is probably something<br />

I will never see and do again.<br />

Sometimes the wind drove snow flakes or rain into your face and a wide<br />

brimmed hat is the best protection against this, - head down, seeing no<br />

more than 2m in front <strong>of</strong> you (don’t forget looking for the yellow arrow in<br />

the process).<br />

We started <strong>of</strong>f with 7 pilgrims (from Slovenia, Costa Rica, Argentina,<br />

Canada, Spain & <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>) from Roncesvalles - with pilgrim’s mass<br />

being <strong>of</strong>ficiated by 4 priests. The Costa Rican was too fast for us and we<br />

lost sight <strong>of</strong> him immediately. Others were too slow or dropped out, so 4<br />

<strong>of</strong> us (later 3 <strong>of</strong> us) met most evenings until we reached Burgos.<br />

There, I took the bus to Santo Domingo de Silos to experience the about<br />

30 monks chanting during their Visperia, - a moving experience.<br />

From Burgos to Fromista (3 days), there was no other pilgrim on the way<br />

and in the Albergues. I felt left behind by my friends. Sleeping places<br />

are limited at this time <strong>of</strong> the year and I could not rely on my guidebook<br />

for accurate information. Therefore, it was essential to get advice from<br />

Hostelarios.<br />

In addition, a number <strong>of</strong> bars were closed and those open had a very<br />

limited selection <strong>of</strong> food available. Shops are even more difficult to find<br />

than in summer. In the mornings, I was on my way between 7.45 and<br />

8.30, not at 6.00 to 7.00, which was my practice in September.<br />

Darkness in the<br />

morning in summer<br />

was fine but darkness<br />

and the cold in winter<br />

is another story.<br />

(Due to winter time<br />

clock setting in<br />

Europe, the morning<br />

sunrise is very similar<br />

between summer and<br />

winter but the day is<br />

much shorter.)<br />

In the evening, it was<br />

getting dark at about<br />

6pm, very different<br />

from the long<br />

12 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong><br />

evenings in summer. It was a pleasure to spread one’s belongings out<br />

over two, even 3 beds.<br />

Albergues were certainly not overloaded and solitude on the way was<br />

guaranteed. Walking the Camino is a resolve to reach Santiago de<br />

Compostela (or your chosen destination).<br />

The conditions one encounters are accepted without questioning - There<br />

is no thought <strong>of</strong> waiting for the rain to stop - one is free to continue and<br />

not burdened by choices. What makes a winter walk different to walking<br />

in summer?<br />

For one, writing my diary in September was something I really enjoyed.<br />

Any place was suitable to put your thoughts and experiences on paper,<br />

be it sitting in a church porch, on church steps, inside churches, on the<br />

side <strong>of</strong> the way, at a picnic spot, etc. When something came to mind,<br />

I was able to record it. In this way, my diary was written “in the moment”<br />

and presented a good reflection <strong>of</strong> my experiences. In addition, if I got<br />

tired, I could find a tree or bush to sleep under.<br />

Obviously, this is not possible in winter and for me, writing inside<br />

albergues with others around was not successful.<br />

Therefore, my choice is to walk in warmer conditions again in future.<br />

Having said that, I am so glad and privileged to have had experienced<br />

this winter walk. Been there, done it, as my daughter Kai would say.<br />

Have the (tee-shirt) and the pictures to prove it.<br />

<strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

13


2010 Holy Year Camino Poster<br />

Scq<br />

santiago de 2 1 compostela<br />

MMX<br />

“peregrinando hacia la luz”<br />

anneé sainté de saint jacques holy year from compostela anno santi compostelano<br />

año santo compostelano<br />

heiling von Compostela Jahr annus sanctus compostellanum ano santo compostelano<br />

diseñado por enxeño galicia para la archidiócesis de santiago de compostela<br />

Santiago te espera<br />

encamínate<br />

www.encaminate.com<br />

Interpretation <strong>of</strong> the Design<br />

Sylvia Nilsen collated information from several reputable sources and<br />

provided the summary below:<br />

Modesto Gomez, director <strong>of</strong> Enxeño Galicia Archdiocese Santiago de<br />

Compostela, The Company that designed the poster, explained its<br />

symbolism as follows:<br />

We envisioned the road as a melting pot <strong>of</strong> people who, with their<br />

multitude <strong>of</strong> colours, are pilgrims walking together towards a goal.<br />

We envisioned a destination and drew the Quintana with its threshold <strong>of</strong><br />

reconciliation, a prelude to the embrace that allows us to open ourselves<br />

to the world <strong>of</strong> Obradoiro Glory. We envisioned a style and decided to<br />

compose a mural that symbolized the plurality <strong>of</strong> the road.<br />

Rounded at the base and the lower line at the top it is colorful in its<br />

origin.<br />

The top half is full <strong>of</strong> space and chromatically clean. The Poster is<br />

decorated with a scheme that simplifies the interpretation <strong>of</strong> three distinct<br />

parts that intersect as a natural representation <strong>of</strong> the world.<br />

The World-View is full <strong>of</strong> life and colour and characterized by a<br />

multitude <strong>of</strong> pilgrims, driven by the spirit in an ethereal mix <strong>of</strong><br />

“chiaroscuro” (an Italian artistic technique that use light and dark to<br />

achieve a heightened illusion <strong>of</strong> depth).<br />

Unencumbered, the silhouette <strong>of</strong> the cross, and a central plane in which<br />

the Cathedral is the goal <strong>of</strong> the Path.Obradoiro blurring the towers in<br />

an overhead shot imaginary, we highlight the vision <strong>of</strong> la Quintana as a<br />

Plaza with the presentation <strong>of</strong> the Clock Tower and Holy Door in a composition<br />

<strong>of</strong> simple grey lines and adorned by colorful rounded lines.<br />

At the door are three elements that stand out: first the images that<br />

humanize the stone. On the other, forming a central axis, are two<br />

representations <strong>of</strong> the apostle. How could it be otherwise in the case <strong>of</strong><br />

la Quintana, place <strong>of</strong> living and dead, an apostle recumbent, which is<br />

the guiding light at the end <strong>of</strong> the road, rising above the door in its niche<br />

as a living witness <strong>of</strong> Christ and the pilgrim who, as a good host, awaits<br />

us.<br />

To his right, the clock tower stands as a beacon <strong>of</strong> hope, a symbol <strong>of</strong><br />

three essential elements: the clarity, the call and time. It is more symbolic<br />

<strong>of</strong> the temple tower. It represents, in descending order, a glimmer <strong>of</strong> hope<br />

that flows from its guiding light, a perennial call to conversion that<br />

resonates in each “badalada” <strong>of</strong> the Berengaria bell, and a gentle<br />

discourse <strong>of</strong> hours to the rhythm <strong>of</strong> the needles <strong>of</strong> a clock that evokes our<br />

lives and our history.<br />

At the base we wanted to establish a modern, simple and illuminating<br />

logo: from the Roman era to today, Pilgrim Church, at the hands <strong>of</strong> the<br />

cross and Vieira, icons <strong>of</strong> Jesus and <strong>James</strong>, pilgrimage guided by the light<br />

<strong>of</strong> Christ, walking together, hand in hand with faith, from 2010 years ago.<br />

14 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

15


The American Connection<br />

by Ed Tennyson<br />

We have been familiar with<br />

the CSJSA through the<br />

Camino de Santiago forum<br />

and have <strong>of</strong>ten been<br />

impressed with the<br />

commitment and dedication<br />

that the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n<br />

members have shown.<br />

As an example, the<br />

litterbag program was<br />

particularly welcome and<br />

much needed.<br />

The amount <strong>of</strong> litter along<br />

the trail was sad in March <strong>of</strong><br />

2009 and we could imagine<br />

how much worse it must get<br />

after the crowds <strong>of</strong> people<br />

pass through later in the year. This commitment to giving back to the<br />

Camino was very impressive.<br />

Ed and Ellie Tennyson, American members <strong>of</strong> our <strong>Confraternity</strong><br />

The original thought <strong>of</strong> joining the CSJSA came about after I had posted a<br />

concern about the size <strong>of</strong> the pilgrim credential issued in Spain.<br />

There is only room for 40 sellos, which means that it is necessary to use<br />

more than one passport or to be very frugal in the stamps received.<br />

Last year we ran out <strong>of</strong> room toward the end and missed out on many<br />

that we would have liked to have as reminders <strong>of</strong> places visited.<br />

Sylvia Nilsen replied with a great description <strong>of</strong> the excellent CSJSA<br />

passport with 90 spaces for stamps. Sil put me in touch with Fran<br />

Parsons who helped us work through the membership necessities.<br />

The CSJSA patch and pin were a nice surprise and are now proudly<br />

displayed on our packs. It may be interesting to explain to other Pilgrims<br />

why Americans are members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n <strong>Confraternity</strong>.<br />

My wife, Ellie, and I both retired and have been for about 10 years.<br />

We live in Seattle, Washington overlooking Puget Sound, which is a very<br />

large inland salt-water bay with a lot <strong>of</strong> ocean shipping and traffic.<br />

We have traveled very extensively around the world since retirement and<br />

have covered much <strong>of</strong> the world. <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> is still on our list <strong>of</strong> places<br />

to visit and hope to make it there at some point.<br />

16 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong><br />

We had known <strong>of</strong> the Camino de Santiago for a long time and had<br />

always been a little drawn to it. We decided to go after realizing that the<br />

traveling we were doing was beginning to all seem to be the same.<br />

Neither <strong>of</strong> us were exercise oriented and, as most Americans, would<br />

drive a few blocks to a store rather than walk. No exercise program at all.<br />

We did walk a bit for about a month before we went in March <strong>of</strong> 2009.<br />

Ellie experienced severe blisters and foot problems the whole way and<br />

suffered every day but would not quit. I did not have any problems and<br />

was surprised that it seemed hard and grueling but not difficult in light <strong>of</strong><br />

my lack <strong>of</strong> physical conditioning.<br />

I am leaving from SJPP on 14 March and will walk some <strong>of</strong> the way with<br />

a friend from Belgium that we met in 2009. His wife is not going this year<br />

and we found that we had both planned to walk at about the same time.<br />

Ellie will not be able to walk the whole Camino this year with her serious<br />

feet problems and will meet me in Sarria and do the last stage with me.<br />

I hope that her feet will hold up for the shorter distance.<br />

Best regards,<br />

Ed Tennyson<br />

Benedict XVI to Visit Spain in November<br />

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain, MARCH 3, 2010 (Zenit.org)<br />

Benedict XVI will visit Santiago de Compostela this Nov. 6 for the<br />

Jacobeo Holy Year, and go to Barcelona the next day to consecrate<br />

that city’s church <strong>of</strong> the Sagrada Familia.<br />

The archbishops <strong>of</strong> the two cities, Cardinal Lluís Martínez Sistach <strong>of</strong><br />

Barcelona and Archbishop Julián Barrio <strong>of</strong> Santiago, announced this<br />

today.<br />

Archbishop Barrio said the Holy Father had expressed his desire to<br />

go to Santiago as a “pilgrim <strong>of</strong> faith.” The prelate was at the Vatican<br />

on Monday to invite the Holy Father to his country.<br />

The November trip will be Benedict XVI’s second to Spain, after the<br />

2006 World Meeting <strong>of</strong> Families he attended in Valencia.<br />

He is scheduled to visit Spain for a third time in August 2011 for<br />

World Youth Day in Madrid.<br />

<strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

17


Le Mont-Saint-Michel<br />

Gothic Wonder<br />

Spectacular Vision <strong>of</strong><br />

“The New Jerusalem”<br />

by Heinrich Brumfield<br />

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the<br />

first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the<br />

Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out <strong>of</strong> heaven from God,<br />

prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a<br />

loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling <strong>of</strong> God is with<br />

men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself<br />

will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their<br />

eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the<br />

old order <strong>of</strong> things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4 The New Jerusalem)<br />

The first time I<br />

visited the<br />

magnificent abbey<br />

church <strong>of</strong> Le Mont-Saint-<br />

Michel on the Normandy<br />

coast <strong>of</strong> France, was in<br />

the summer <strong>of</strong> 2003.<br />

Some months prior to my<br />

visit, I watched a BBC<br />

television documentary<br />

on this marvelous place<br />

and was immediately<br />

completely fascinated by<br />

this extraordinary feat <strong>of</strong><br />

architecture and<br />

engineering. I had to see<br />

it for myself in real life. I<br />

had to touch the stones<br />

from which it was built.<br />

My approach to the<br />

Mount was from a<br />

southerly direction. From<br />

a few kilometers away, I<br />

could initially only make<br />

18 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong><br />

out a very unusual shape on the horizon. Getting closer, I was absolutely<br />

stunned and captivated by the fantastic and completely surreal vision that<br />

greeted me. There, against the pale blue sky, totally surrounded by water,<br />

was the abbey church and its supporting buildings. The entire ensemble<br />

<strong>of</strong> buildings that make up the abbey church were constructed on the<br />

peak <strong>of</strong> a pyramid-shaped rock. Other buildings around and below it is<br />

built on the terraced slopes <strong>of</strong> the site. The small island with its collection<br />

<strong>of</strong> built structures formed a perfect triangle, silhouetted against the early<br />

morning haze. It appeared to be completely disconnected from the earth;<br />

as if it was floating in the sky. A world unto itself.<br />

Cut <strong>of</strong>f from ordinary things - the mundane <strong>of</strong> every-day life. Something<br />

completely unique which radiated holiness. From a distance I could see<br />

the arc <strong>of</strong> the flying buttresses <strong>of</strong> the church. The golden statue <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>.<br />

Michael, in the act <strong>of</strong> slaying the dragon, gleaming in the sun, 500 feet<br />

high, on the spire <strong>of</strong> the church. I was captivated and momentarily in my<br />

own dream world.<br />

This was no mirage. After many years <strong>of</strong> reading about the Mount and<br />

dreaming and longing to see it in real life, I had arrived at the one site in<br />

Europe that probably best demonstrate the Medieval Benedictine<br />

interpretation <strong>of</strong> Revelation, chapter 21. This achingly beautiful place did<br />

not develop into its current shape by accident. It was built over centuries<br />

with meticulous attention to detail. The design and construction <strong>of</strong> the<br />

abbey church, with all its supporting structures, was a deliberate attempt<br />

by the Benedictine monks, who occupied the site throughout the Middle<br />

Ages, to construct the “New Jerusalem” here on earth.<br />

Mont-Saint-Michel, therefore, in the unformulated Medieval imagination,<br />

represents nothing less than the Jerusalem <strong>of</strong> the Apocalypse, descended<br />

from Heaven to welcome the Blessed for Eternity. From what I<br />

experienced, I can most definitely say that they have succeeded in<br />

reaching their goal, in spectacular fashion!<br />

The Mount is an immutable silhouette, standing in a landscape in<br />

constant transformation. It evokes an indestructible stability, an<br />

enormous, eternal strength, around which stirs the threatening, confused<br />

and dangerous forces <strong>of</strong> chaos.It also represents a vertical axis, linking<br />

together the three levels <strong>of</strong> the Universe – the Sky, the Earth and the<br />

Nether World. It is the ‘axis <strong>of</strong> the world’ – that is to say, a passage, an<br />

opening through which is established the communication between our<br />

world and that <strong>of</strong> the divine presences <strong>of</strong> above.<br />

The Benedictines occupied the rock since 966 and it was they who gave<br />

shape to these ideas, based on their interpretation <strong>of</strong> the book <strong>of</strong><br />

Revelation. Throughout the Middle Ages, Le Mont-Saint-Michel was<br />

visited most <strong>of</strong>ten by pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela,<br />

from Scandinavia, England and Northern Europe. After visiting the site,<br />

most <strong>of</strong> them would re-join the major pilgrim route through<br />

North-Western France, the Via Turonensis, at Tours. By that time it was<br />

already standard practice for pilgrims who were curious or wishing to<br />

<strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

19


satisfy a special devotion to pass from one route to another by taking<br />

bypasses or side-roads.<br />

Whatever itinerary was taken, stage by stage, the pilgrim accomplished<br />

a series <strong>of</strong> pilgrimages, recounted by Aimery Picaud in chapter VIII <strong>of</strong> his<br />

“Pilgrim’s Guide”, where he enumerates the “holy bodies that rest along<br />

the road to Santiago and that pilgrims should visit”. Some pilgrims did<br />

not hesitate to detour through famous pilgrimage sites more or less<br />

distant from the major routes, such as Le Mont-Saint-Michel,<br />

Rocamadour or Montserrat.<br />

The rocky outcrop that forms the foundation <strong>of</strong> Le Mont-Saint-Michel was<br />

formed 600 million years ago. It consists <strong>of</strong> a cone <strong>of</strong> granite, 80 meters<br />

high and is situated in a bay which covers 45,000 hectares.<br />

This is also the scene <strong>of</strong> the most spectacular spring high tides in the<br />

world.<br />

Twice per month during spring high tide, the entire Mont-Saint-Michel is<br />

completely surrounded by water. At dead low tide, the water can draw<br />

back as much as 18km. The tide height can fall and rise by as much as<br />

15 meters (the height <strong>of</strong> a 5 storey building). The speed <strong>of</strong> the incoming<br />

high tide is <strong>of</strong>ten equated to that <strong>of</strong> a “galloping horse”. Over the centuries,<br />

many pilgrims who were caught on the flood plain en route to the<br />

Mount, unaware <strong>of</strong> this phenomenon, met a gruesome end.<br />

The site consists <strong>of</strong> a village, a fortress and a sanctuary. These structures<br />

were primarily established through three major forces; a) political power<br />

(a gift <strong>of</strong> money from a powerful ruler), b) gifts made by the Faithful<br />

(<strong>of</strong>ferings according to one’s means, through a Will, to places <strong>of</strong><br />

pilgrimage which the testator has visited during his lifetime), and, c)<br />

capital gains produced by the monastery’s feudal and land-owing domain<br />

(farms, mills, forests).<br />

The general shape <strong>of</strong> the village below the abbey church is structured<br />

around a main street, starting in the south and looping upwards to the<br />

entry <strong>of</strong> the monastery, which looks east. A maze <strong>of</strong> little streets is grafted<br />

onto the main street.<br />

Except for a few stones taken from the Mount itself, all the other building<br />

material came from the Causey islands, 35km away. The building blocks<br />

were cut and shaped on site to save weight and then transported to the<br />

Mount on barges, as the tides permitted.<br />

The Revelatio ecclesiae sancti michaelis, written in the middle <strong>of</strong> the<br />

9th century tell that, according to oral tradition, in 708, Aubert, bishop<br />

<strong>of</strong> Avranches, saw the Archangel Michael in a dream, who asked him<br />

to build an oratory in his honour, on the north slope <strong>of</strong> Mount Tomb.<br />

This was the name given to a small island, favourable for meditation<br />

and prefiguring spiritual elevation, which were regularly visited by 7th<br />

century hermits who were attracted by the solitude <strong>of</strong> the peak emerging<br />

from the water. In 927, William Long-Sword, son <strong>of</strong> Rollon, 1st Duke <strong>of</strong><br />

Normandy, granted important donations to the abbey. The year 1154 saw<br />

the arrival <strong>of</strong> the great abbot Robert de Thorigny, under whose<br />

20 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong><br />

leadership (1154 – 1186) the abbey reached the peak <strong>of</strong> its influence.<br />

Robert also tried to increase the renown <strong>of</strong> the Mount’s pilgrimage,<br />

attracting a growing number <strong>of</strong> pilgrims whose <strong>of</strong>ferings allowed the<br />

construction <strong>of</strong> new buildings. The “Gothic Wonder” was eventually<br />

completed in 1314. During the 100-Years War (1337 – 1453),<br />

Le Mont-Saint-Michel was the seat <strong>of</strong> a garrison and was transformed into<br />

an impregnable citadel. In 1789, the Revolution chased out the last <strong>of</strong> the<br />

monks. Transformed into a prison, the abbey sheltered rebellious priests<br />

or royalist rebels from Western France.<br />

Le Mont-Saint-Michel was classified as a historical monument in 1874.<br />

Its restoration was undertaken and completed in 1965 with the arrival <strong>of</strong><br />

monks from Saint-Wandrille and Bec-Hellouin. In 1979,<br />

Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay were added to the UNESCO list <strong>of</strong> World<br />

Heritage Sites and were listed with criteria such as cultural, historical,<br />

and architectural significance, as well as human-created and natural<br />

beauty.<br />

Related Information<br />

• <strong>St</strong>. Michael – (Hebrew: Mi/ka/el – “who {is} like unto God?”).<br />

Patron Saint <strong>of</strong> heights. In the literature <strong>of</strong> Revelation he was the warrior angel, fighting the Evil <strong>of</strong> the fallen Angel,<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Devil, embodied in a dragon.<br />

• <strong>St</strong>. Michael’s Mount, Cornwall, United Kingdom: http://www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk/<br />

Historically, <strong>St</strong> Michael’s Mount was a Cornish counterpart <strong>of</strong> Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France. Religious<br />

roots: church built on the summit <strong>of</strong> the island after the Norman invasion when <strong>St</strong> Michael’s Mount was granted to<br />

the Benedictine Abbey <strong>of</strong> Le Mont-Saint-Michel in France. <strong>St</strong> Michael’s Mount (Cornish: Karrek Loos y’n Koos) is<br />

a tidal island located 366 m (400 yd) <strong>of</strong>f the Mount’s Bay coast <strong>of</strong> Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is united<br />

with the town <strong>of</strong> Marazion by a man-made causeway, passable only at mid to low tide, made <strong>of</strong> granite setts. The<br />

island exhibits a combination <strong>of</strong> slate and granite.<br />

• Chapel <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> Michael d’Aiguilhe, Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne, France<br />

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/le-puy-st-michael-chapel<br />

The Chapel <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> Michael d’Aiguilhe (Chapelle Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe) is a fascinating little pilgrimage chapel<br />

perched atop a needle (aiguilhe) <strong>of</strong> rock in Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne. Jutting dramatically towards heaven, the<br />

rock needle has been a sacred place for thousands <strong>of</strong> years: a prehistoric dolmen was built there and the Romans<br />

dedicated it to Mercury before the Christians built a chapel to <strong>St</strong>. Michael. The Chapel <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>. Michael was built by<br />

Bishop Godescalc and the deacon Trianus in 962AD. It was a simple shrine built on a central plan: a square<br />

sanctuary a tiny apsidole on each side. This original sanctuary and two <strong>of</strong> the apsidoles still survive today.<br />

The chapel attracted many pilgrims, especially since Le Puy was the starting point for one <strong>of</strong> the main routes to<br />

Santiago de Compostela.<br />

<strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

21


Reflections<br />

“This too shall pass”<br />

by Fr. Frank de Gouveia<br />

The middle part <strong>of</strong> the journey can be the<br />

hardest. On the French Camino it comes in<br />

the form <strong>of</strong> the long, flat, hot and boring Meseta.<br />

The excitement <strong>of</strong> the first stage <strong>of</strong> pilgrimage is<br />

over and the great expectation one feels on entering Galicia is still a long<br />

way <strong>of</strong>f. All one can do is to keep your head down, put one foot in front<br />

<strong>of</strong> the other and remind oneself <strong>of</strong> what a Zen friend once told me:<br />

Every advance is a dance!<br />

In her book, The Way <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>ars and <strong>St</strong>ones, <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>n-born Wilna<br />

Wilkinson tell the story <strong>of</strong> the bronze shield given to each soldier<br />

during the time <strong>of</strong> the Roman Empire. It was a valuable defence against<br />

the enemy and had many other ordinary uses as well. Like the scallop<br />

shell, for instance, it could also be used to scoop up refreshing water<br />

from streams along the way! On each soldier’s personal shield was<br />

inscribed the words: THIS TOO SHALL PASS. And this was a shield<br />

against the enemy within. No matter what the soldier was going through,<br />

he was always reminded <strong>of</strong> this comforting truth. Whatever the ‘this’ is, it<br />

will not last forever.<br />

The pilgrim knows this. Nothing is permanent. As we walk along the<br />

Way, the terrain changes, our companions change and we change.<br />

On those difficult stretches, when the load on our backs or in our hearts<br />

is weighing us down, when we are stuck in a rut or when what is going<br />

on around us or within us is just too overwhelming, then that is the time<br />

to remind ourselves: THIS TOO SHALL PASS. If we can remember it,<br />

then we can feel the comfort and reassurance this truth brings.<br />

The sixteenth century Spanish mystic, <strong>St</strong>. Teresa <strong>of</strong> Avila, reminded<br />

herself <strong>of</strong> this by writing it on her bookmark:<br />

Let nothing disturb you<br />

Let nothing frighten you<br />

All things pass away:<br />

God never changes.<br />

Patience obtains all things.<br />

One who has God<br />

Lacks nothing<br />

God alone suffices.<br />

Camino Routes<br />

Lourdes to Pamplona on the Aragones Route<br />

by Silvia Nilsen<br />

Routes<br />

The Camino Aragones is one <strong>of</strong> the most ruggedly beautiful Camino<br />

routes in Spain. From Pyrenean grandeur at the 1600m Col du Somport<br />

the path drops sharply, 400m in 7.5km, into an ancient, crumpled<br />

valley formed by a shallow sea that covered Aragon some 100 million<br />

years ago. In places the lunar landscape is spectacular with ingrained<br />

fossils <strong>of</strong> marine microorganisms in the grey rocks.<br />

Long before Charlemagne led his 3rd expedition across the Pyrenees in<br />

the 8th C to become Master <strong>of</strong> Spain, the “Summus Portus” was traversed<br />

by Romans, Vandals, Visigoths, Arabs and merchants.<br />

We started our journey on 5th June 2009 in the pilgrimage town <strong>of</strong><br />

Lourdes following the blue and yellow Amis <strong>St</strong> Jacques markers <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Via Tolosana for three days along muddy paths through the damp, heavily<br />

forested Pyrénées-Atlantiques as far as Oloron <strong>St</strong> Marie. From there we<br />

turned south, trekking through the green valley <strong>of</strong> the river Gave d’Aspe<br />

and the Parc National des Pyrénées to the Somport Pass.<br />

The first town we stopped at in Spain was Canfranc International<br />

Estación, which developed around a stunning (now abandoned) 1920’s<br />

art deco railway station featured in the film Dr Zhivago. Just below the<br />

Puerto are the ruins <strong>of</strong> the Hospital de Santa Cristina described by Aimery<br />

<strong>22</strong> <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

23


Picaud in the Codex Calixtinus, as one <strong>of</strong> the world’s three great pilgrim<br />

hospices after Jerusalem and the San Bernado (in the Swiss Alps).<br />

From Canfranc to Jaca the landscape is noticeably drier with rocky gorges<br />

and stony, gravel paths clinging to scree slopes barely held together by<br />

patches <strong>of</strong> dense gorse, heather and broom. Here the Camino markers<br />

change from blue and yellow to the ‘flechas amarilla’ <strong>of</strong> the Spanish<br />

Caminos.<br />

Jaca, one <strong>of</strong> two largish towns on the Aragones route, was the last to fall<br />

to the Moors in 715. It became the capital <strong>of</strong> the tiny Kingdom <strong>of</strong> Aragon<br />

and was an important pilgrimage town with at least four pilgrim<br />

hospices. From Jaca we did a detour to San Juan de la Pena – <strong>St</strong> John <strong>of</strong><br />

the Rock - a mountain monastery built under the overhang <strong>of</strong> an<br />

enormous sinclinal rock (the pena).<br />

The 7.5km path down the mountain is an incredibly steep, torturous trail<br />

to Santa Cruz de la Serós. Perched on impossible ledges, some only<br />

10cm wide, rough stone tracks twist downhill into the abyss with<br />

nothing to save you if you trip or slip.<br />

From Santa Cruz we followed the Rio Aragon to Santa Celia de Jaca,<br />

Artieda, Ruesta, Izco, Tiebas and Eunate. We walked against the pilgrim<br />

tide from Eunate to Pamplona.We flew to Toulouse on Iberia and got a<br />

train to Lourdes. Lourdes to Somport ± 100km and Somport to Pamplona<br />

± 170km. There is pilgrim accommodation on both routes.<br />

<strong>Confraternity</strong> News - National<br />

Member <strong>St</strong>atistics<br />

From <strong>Edition</strong> <strong>22</strong> onwards, we publish the<br />

graphs that represent our national<br />

membership as per region.<br />

Our Membership List that appeared in our<br />

previous editions has found a permanent<br />

home on our<br />

<strong>Confraternity</strong> Website, as has much <strong>of</strong> the<br />

repetitive information previously included<br />

in <strong>Amigos</strong>.<br />

Please visit our Web Page at<br />

http://www.csj<strong>of</strong>sa.za.org/ for the latest<br />

updates to the Membership List that the<br />

Webmaster will post on a regular basis.<br />

On the Right: <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>. <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> 2009 Membership Pr<strong>of</strong>ile -<br />

Per Region<br />

Western Cape<br />

Free <strong>St</strong>ate<br />

<strong>South</strong>ern Cape<br />

North West<br />

Eastern Cape<br />

Limpopo<br />

Kwazulu-Natal<br />

Northern Cape<br />

Gauteng<br />

Overseas<br />

Region No.<br />

Western Cape 172<br />

Free <strong>St</strong>ate 6<br />

<strong>South</strong>ern Cape 26<br />

North West Province 1<br />

Eastern Cape 13<br />

Limpopo 4<br />

Kwazulu-Natal 15<br />

Northern Cape 2<br />

Gauteng 61<br />

Overseas 4<br />

Total 304<br />

24 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

25<br />

2.0%<br />

0.3%<br />

1.3%<br />

0.7%<br />

4.3%<br />

1.3%<br />

8.6%<br />

4.9%<br />

20.1%<br />

56.6%


<strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

Photo <strong>St</strong>ories<br />

At the AGM: 21 February 2010 -<br />

Francine (seated far right), delivering her<br />

inauguration speech, as newly elected<br />

chairman<br />

Left to right:<br />

Andrée Lombard (Treasurer),<br />

Mark Pickering (Vice-Chairman) and<br />

Francine Parsons (Chairman)<br />

Ilmo. Señor D Ignacio Garcia -<br />

Valdecasas, Consul General <strong>of</strong> Spain,<br />

after Francine issued him with our<br />

<strong>Confraternity</strong> pin badge. We extended a<br />

formal request to the Consul to become<br />

the Patron <strong>of</strong> our <strong>Confraternity</strong>.<br />

See letter <strong>of</strong> acceptance on right<br />

Elmara Willis and Andrée Lombard,<br />

organized our annual Cape Town<br />

“New Pilgrim” Workshop.<br />

2010 already marks the 5th Workshop<br />

which took place on 6 March in<br />

Milnerton. The well-attended workshop<br />

ran like clockwork and many<br />

well-equipped prospective pilgrims left<br />

with everything needed to ensure<br />

a blister-free Camino.<br />

<strong>Confraternity</strong> Members attending the<br />

AGM at <strong>St</strong> Paul’s church in Somerset West<br />

on 21 February 2010<br />

25<br />

Patron <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>. <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong><br />

Letter <strong>of</strong> acceptance by The Honourable, Senor D Ignacio Garcia-Valdecasas,<br />

Consul General <strong>of</strong> Spain<br />

Dear Members,<br />

We are honored to have the Spanish Consul General, Señor D. Ignacio<br />

García-Valdecasas, accepting our invitation to become the <strong>of</strong>ficial Patron to the<br />

<strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>. <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> SA. The relationship will be an ongoing one and the<br />

purpose <strong>of</strong> having an <strong>of</strong>ficial Patron is to lend their credibility and high pr<strong>of</strong>ile<br />

support to the <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>. <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> SA. This honor will help us with<br />

fundraising, campaigning, public relations and attracting new supporters.<br />

He will be attending some <strong>of</strong> our most important functions like <strong>St</strong>. <strong>James</strong> day on<br />

25 July and our AGM.<br />

Francine Parsons<br />

<strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

27


<strong>Confraternity</strong> News - Regional<br />

Gauteng<br />

A Camino inspired Sunday morning<br />

in Pretoria<br />

On Sunday 14 March, about 40<br />

experienced and inexperienced<br />

pilgrims gathered at the<br />

Environmental Education Centre <strong>of</strong><br />

the Pretoria Botanical Gardens to<br />

attend a Camino workshop held by<br />

the Gauteng Chapter <strong>of</strong> the CSJ.<br />

The scenic venue had been<br />

Elmara giving the detail organized courtesy <strong>of</strong> Marinda<br />

Koekemoer and Hester <strong>St</strong>eyn. Hand painted scallop signs pointed the<br />

way to the Centre where we were treated to early morning tea and c<strong>of</strong>fee<br />

and fresh boccadillos for lunch. After the talks, we were refreshed with<br />

juice and sangria. A tortilla even graced the table, reminding me <strong>of</strong> some<br />

good meals shared along the Camino in Spain. Elmara Willis specially<br />

flew up from Cape Town to present the workshop. A seasoned peregrina,<br />

she has walked several routes <strong>of</strong> the Camino in extreme conditions. She<br />

shared some invaluable advice about her experiences, not to mention<br />

ingenious practical ideas for prospective travellers , rounding it <strong>of</strong>f with<br />

an inspiring presentation <strong>of</strong> photographs taken during her pilgrimages.<br />

Attendees had the opportunity to see first-hand, which items to pack in<br />

their backpacks and were advised on what and what not to take, and<br />

received sound financial and other practical advice in preparation for<br />

their journey. Bernice Brunette gave a heart-warming talk on networking,<br />

reminding us <strong>of</strong> the wonderful people you meet along the way and the<br />

friendships you make. She read some touching messages specially sent to<br />

her for her talk by her Camino amigos – a very special gesture!<br />

Sean closed the presentations, where after people could chat and eat<br />

together. Befitting for a Camino event, we then did a little walk around<br />

the beautiful Gardens together with Elmara.<br />

We were happy to have the opportunity to host the workshop in Pretoria.<br />

For the rest <strong>of</strong> the year, we are planning a possible event for <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> Day<br />

(Feast Day), 25 July 2010, and a hike and chat later in the year. We are<br />

also still looking for extra volunteers to help and welcome new ideas and<br />

assistance for the region.<br />

We wish the Gauteng pilgrims all the best for their journey. It seems as if<br />

most people will be going to Spain during September this year - but some<br />

are leaving next month already.<br />

Buen Camino!<br />

Marita Nortje & Sean <strong>St</strong>ephan, CSJ Gauteng<br />

<strong>Confraternity</strong> News - International<br />

News from Spain and the Camino<br />

The timetable for services in the Cathedral this Holy Year is as follows:<br />

• Pilgrims’ Masses: 10:00, 12:00, 13:15, 18:00 and 18:30<br />

• Matins (laudatory morning service) at 9:30.<br />

• Individual confessions (in all languages) are from 8:00 to 13:00 and<br />

from 16:30 to 21:00 every day.<br />

• Communal confessions happen at 11:00 from Monday to Saturday.<br />

• Vespers (evening service) at 18:45<br />

• Prayer vigils at 20:30<br />

• Veneration <strong>of</strong> the tomb and embracing <strong>of</strong> the Apostle’s image are from<br />

9:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:30 every day.<br />

Tourism <strong>of</strong> the Cathedral complex is from 7:30 to 8:15 and from<br />

28 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

29<br />

•<br />

•<br />

14:00 to 16:30. No guides are allowed; instead, tourists must use<br />

audio-guides.<br />

Backpacks can no longer be brought into the Cathedral and must be<br />

left in the seminary across Azabacherias.<br />

Opening <strong>of</strong> the HOLY DOOR and Pilgrim <strong>St</strong>atistics<br />

A short video on the opening <strong>of</strong> the Holy Door can be viewed at<br />

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/galicia/2010/01/01/000312623715957129<br />

83968.htm<br />

• Pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela grew by 16.6% in 2009<br />

• Pilgrims pursuing the Compostela volume issued by the Pilgrim Office<br />

increased from 125,141(2008) to 145,877.<br />

• According to the data handled by the Office <strong>of</strong> the Pilgrim, were<br />

85,945 men who completed the Camino by 59,932 women.<br />

• During 2009, 120,605 pilgrims arrived in Santiago on foot, 24,892 by<br />

bike, 341 on horseback and 39 in wheelchairs.<br />

•<br />

•<br />

Age distribution was as follows: 1,272 children under 12 years, 12,303<br />

between 12 and 18, 34,608 between 18 and 30, 28,670 between 30<br />

and 40, 25,483 between 40 and 50, 24,989 between 50 and 60, and<br />

over 18,552 60.<br />

262 <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>ns arrived in 2009, 274 during 2008 and 262 in 2007.<br />

As to the motive for the pilgrims made the Camino de Santiago, 62,188<br />

<strong>of</strong> the respondents replied that their pilgrimage was exclusively for


eligious reasons. A further 132,491, walked for other reasons while<br />

13,386 (9.18%) said that religion had nothing to do with the reason why<br />

they “hit the trail”.<br />

More than half (79,007) <strong>of</strong> the Compostela pilgrims who applied in 2009<br />

were Spanish and <strong>of</strong> foreign representation, Germany’s was the largest<br />

with 14,789 pilgrims, followed by Italy with 10,341, France 7459,<br />

Portugal in 4854 and 2540 from the U.S.<br />

The path followed by most <strong>of</strong> the pilgrims was the French Way (113,001)<br />

followed by the Portuguese Way (11,956), 9183 ventured on the<br />

Northern Way, 6,254 arrived along the Via de la Plata and 3388 followed<br />

the Primitive Way. The English Way attracted 1793 pilgrims and the<br />

remaining paths counted contributed 302 more.<br />

Camino Short Guides<br />

The CSJ - UK have added a number <strong>of</strong> free downloadable short guides on<br />

their website. http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm<br />

These include guides to:<br />

• The Voie Littorale: Soulac to Hendaye<br />

• Camino del Salvador - Leon to Oviedo<br />

• Camino Portugués Part 1, Lisbon to Porto and Part 2 Porto to Santiago<br />

• Tunnel Route<br />

• Camino Inglés - el Ferrol to Santiago; and<br />

• Finisterre - Santiago to Finisterre<br />

Please consider giving a donation when you download any <strong>of</strong> their guides.<br />

Organised Camino walk<br />

The Spanish Camino Association <strong>of</strong> Valdeorras (in El Bierzo at the start <strong>of</strong><br />

the Camino Invierno) has organized a 14-day walk, about 18 km a day,<br />

from Ponferrada to Santiago on the Camino de Invierno.<br />

They will organise lodging in albergues or polideportivos (sports centers),<br />

and hope to get a respectable crowd to publicize this new route. The<br />

route is approx 200km long. It leaves the Camino Frances at Ponferrada<br />

and runs south, through the Sil valley via Monforte de Lemos and<br />

Chantada, joining the Camino Sanabrés near Lalín. A guide in Castilian/<br />

Galician is available, with an English/French version planned.<br />

Walking begins on May <strong>22</strong>. Please visit their website for more<br />

information and the email address <strong>of</strong> the president <strong>of</strong> the organization,<br />

who is very responsive and helpful. http://Caminodeinvierno.es/<br />

News from other Confraternities<br />

Message for the Opening <strong>of</strong> the Compostela Holy Year<br />

4-January-2010 - Vatican Information Service<br />

VATICAN CITY, 31 DEC 2009 (VIS) - The Pope has sent a Message to<br />

Archbishop Julian Barrio <strong>of</strong> Santiago de Compostela, Spain, for the<br />

solemn opening <strong>of</strong> the Compostela Holy Year which took place this<br />

evening in the cathedral <strong>of</strong> Santiago. The Holy Year is celebrated in years<br />

in which the feast <strong>of</strong> the Apostle <strong>James</strong> (25 July) falls on a Sunday.<br />

In the message, which Archbishop Barrio read out during the course <strong>of</strong><br />

the Eucharistic celebration that followed the opening <strong>of</strong> the Holy Door,<br />

Benedict XVI writes that the theme <strong>of</strong> this latest Compostela Holy year<br />

- “On pilgrimage towards the light” - and the pastoral letter written for<br />

the occasion - “Pilgrims <strong>of</strong> faith and witnesses <strong>of</strong> the risen Christ” - are in<br />

faithful keeping with tradition and “re-present that tradition as a call to<br />

evangelisation to the men and women <strong>of</strong> today, recalling the essentially<br />

pilgrim nature <strong>of</strong> the Church and <strong>of</strong> Christians in this world”.<br />

“Pilgrims, open to wonder and to transcendence, must allow<br />

themselves to be instructed by the Word <strong>of</strong> God so as to divest their faith<br />

<strong>of</strong> ungrounded beliefs and fears”, the Pope writes. “This is what the Lord<br />

did with His disciples who, dazed and discouraged, traveled the road to<br />

Emmaus”.<br />

The Holy Father asks God “to accompany pilgrims, to make Himself<br />

known and enter their hearts. ... This is the true goal, the grace which the<br />

mere physical journeying <strong>of</strong> the Way cannot achieve alone, and which<br />

leads pilgrims to become witnesses before others to the fact that Christ<br />

lives and is our undying hope <strong>of</strong> salvation”.<br />

“During this Holy Year, in keeping with the current Year for Priests, a<br />

decisive role falls to the clergy, whose spirit <strong>of</strong> welcome and commitment<br />

to the faithful and to pilgrims has to be particularly generous”, writes<br />

Pope Benedict. In this context he calls on priests to pay particular heed<br />

to “the administration <strong>of</strong> the Sacraments <strong>of</strong> Penance and the Eucharist,<br />

because the most sought-after, valuable and characteristic element <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Holy Year is forgiveness and the encounter with the living Christ”.<br />

Benedict XVI likewise expresses his “particular closeness to the pilgrims<br />

who are arriving and will continue to arrive in Santiago”, inviting them<br />

“to treasure the pr<strong>of</strong>ound experiences <strong>of</strong> faith, charity and fraternity they<br />

encounter on their journey, and to seek especially to live the Way as an<br />

interior experience, responding to the call that the Lord makes to each<br />

one <strong>of</strong> them”.<br />

“I invite them too”, he concludes, “as they say their prayers, not to forget<br />

those who were unable to accompany them, their families and friends,<br />

the sick and the needy, emigrants, those whose faith is fragile and the<br />

People <strong>of</strong> God with their pastors”.<br />

From - EWTNnews - Global Catholic Network<br />

30 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

31


The Marketplace<br />

Dear friend,<br />

We have known you from http://www.santiago-compostela.net that<br />

you walked the Camino de Santiago. We are very glad you did, and<br />

hope you had a great experience. We are Academia Iria Flavia, a<br />

Spanish school in Santiago de Compostela, and we have something<br />

that may interest you or some <strong>of</strong> your friends: our Spanish on the<br />

Camino de Santiago Programme. From O Cebreiro to Santiago, 6<br />

days to enjoy the superb Galician gastronomy and the comfort <strong>of</strong> rural<br />

tourism; 6 days walking in the company <strong>of</strong> a pr<strong>of</strong>essional guide,<br />

learning about the origins and history <strong>of</strong> El Camino, the monuments<br />

we come across, the economy and folk culture <strong>of</strong> the places we go<br />

through... Please visit our website for further details:<br />

http://ifspanish.com/courses/pilgrimsway/<br />

Our next Camino programme will run from 09 to 15 May, and we<br />

are <strong>of</strong>fering a last minute discount <strong>of</strong> €150. If you are interested,<br />

or know anyone who could be, please remember that application<br />

deadline is 16 April.<br />

Thank you very much for your attention and greetings from Santiago<br />

de Compostela :)<br />

Victoria Vázquez<br />

Book, CD and DVD Reviews<br />

The characters in my fictional tale (see synopsis<br />

below) travel through the same towns and villages as<br />

the pilgrims who walk the Camino do and reading it<br />

might inspire them to follow the main character’s route<br />

as they walk the Camino de Santiago Trail.<br />

- Thea Hughes<br />

Buen Camino - beyond the journey, debut novel <strong>of</strong><br />

Thea Hughes, won first prize in A Woman’s Write<br />

Fiction Book Competition. It tells the story <strong>of</strong> Ana, a<br />

young woman rejected by her mother and sexually<br />

abused by her father as a child, who has carried the weight <strong>of</strong> her traumatic<br />

experiences long enough. At the age <strong>of</strong> thirty, she walks across<br />

Spain on the 764-kilometer medieval pilgrim trail, the Camino de Santiago,<br />

discovering its colourful history, myths, legends and beautiful Spanish<br />

countryside, on a life-changing quest to end her childhood pain.<br />

The overwhelming physical demands <strong>of</strong> the walk add to Ana’s emotional<br />

suffering. Through an unlikely friendship with Richard, a gentle, older<br />

man in the early stages <strong>of</strong> Alzheimer’s, she learns how to let go <strong>of</strong> the<br />

burden she has carried for so long. Richard teaches Ana to leave the past<br />

behind and to live in the here and now - as his illness has forced him to<br />

do. These two become improbable friends: one who cannot remember<br />

and one who cannot forget.<br />

It is along the Camino de Santiago path that Ana’s spiritual journey takes<br />

place, for it is here she finds acceptance, friendship and love, as well as<br />

the courage to take on her own journey <strong>of</strong> the rest <strong>of</strong> her life.<br />

If anyone wishes to purchase a copy <strong>of</strong> the book it can be ordered from -<br />

scintillabooksales@gmail.com. The cost to you would be NZ$20.00 plus<br />

postage.<br />

Thea has also sent a number <strong>of</strong> copies for distribution at our Camino<br />

workshops. Gordon Bell has about 30 copies on hand in Cape Town.<br />

Contact him at 021-7621776<br />

IN BETWEEN - Walking the Pilgrimage to<br />

Santiago de Compostela<br />

Producer: <strong>St</strong>urla Pilskog, Norwegian film-maker<br />

Genre: Documentary<br />

Running time: 48 minutes<br />

Languages: English subtitles:Norwegian, Spanish, French, German<br />

Cost: 21.90 euro (4.90 euro to watch it on the Internet.)<br />

IN BETWEEN is the film for whoever wants a unique and authentic<br />

insight to the pilgrimage to Santiago or for past pilgrims who would like to<br />

bring back good memories...<br />

With almost 25kg <strong>of</strong> camera equipment in his backpack, <strong>St</strong>urla walked the<br />

whole journey from <strong>St</strong>. Jean Pied de Port, in <strong>South</strong>ern France, to Santiago.<br />

On the road, he met pilgrims from all over the World. They had all different<br />

motives <strong>of</strong> walking, and in the film, we follow four <strong>of</strong> them more closely,<br />

walking in the great landscapes <strong>of</strong> the Camino. The result is a charming,<br />

beautifully filmed, 48-minute documentary with a musical soundtrack by<br />

Børge Petersen-Øverleir, well-known Norwegian guitarist. The film highlights<br />

four pilgrims he meets on the way - Mari, Andre, Heinz and Walter.<br />

Although this documentary is not intended to be a promotional video, it<br />

would have been useful to have named the villages, towns, monuments and<br />

other special places highlighted in the film. There is a lovely clip at the end<br />

with the nun singing in the cathedral during the Pilgrims’ Mass.<br />

Available from: www.Caminosantiago.no<br />

32 <strong>Confraternity</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong> <strong>James</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>Amigos</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> no. <strong>22</strong> - March 2010<br />

33


Pilgrim Images - Past and Present<br />

Photograph by Denise Hopkins, Hontanas, June 2005<br />

“Photo taken at the end <strong>of</strong> a long hot day. Thought I was going to finally use my bathing<br />

costume as the village had a swimming pool but it was not to be as it was locked and<br />

after taking a shower a “cerveza con limone” seemed more appealing.”<br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>ʼs Favourite<br />

Outdoor <strong>St</strong>ore for over 75 Years<br />

Call 08600-34000 or visit www.capeunionmart.co.za. <strong>St</strong>ores nationwide. Products subject to availability.


Contact information<br />

Executive Committee<br />

• Chairman: Francine Parsons 082 771 0500 or 021 852 6290<br />

e-mail: francineparsons@gmail.com<br />

• Vice-Chairman: Mark Pickering e-mail: mpi@somcol.co.za<br />

• Treasurer: Andreé Lombard tel 021 552 2525<br />

e-mail andreelombard@absamail.co.za<br />

Regional Representatives<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

Kwazulu/Natal:<br />

Vacant - Awaiting response from nominated member<br />

<strong>South</strong>ern Cape:<br />

Knysna: Denise Crain tel 044-382 2480<br />

e-mail: knysnabookexch@telkomsa.net<br />

George, Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay Area:<br />

Philda Benkenstein tel 044 874 7999 or 082 <strong>22</strong>6 9466<br />

e-mail: benkenstein@mweb.co.za<br />

Gauteng:<br />

Sean <strong>St</strong>ephan tel 011 371 8684 (w) cell 0824184488<br />

e-mail: Sean.<strong>St</strong>ephan@fnb.co.za<br />

Marita Nortje tel 072 507 5188 e-mail: mapano50@hotmail.com<br />

Please visit our website at www.csj<strong>of</strong>sa.za.org for information about:<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

Working Groups and Subcommittees<br />

Membership and Pilgrim supplies<br />

<strong>Confraternity</strong> Library<br />

website: www.csj<strong>of</strong>sa.za.org

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