Have any of you walked the camino of Santiago or way of st James?

[Stillsosola]

Hi I wanted to share an odd experience I had a few months ago I was riding the metro by myself to the federal district of Mexico City and a young spaniard sat next to me he had a scallop shell tattoo on his inner arm he caught me looking and started telling me about the way of st James and how he walked it last year and that he came to Mexico to walk on his knees up tepeyac hill to see our lady of Guadalupe and he then squeezed my hand and said he hoped to see me on the camino one day, I was kind of shaken up obviously since normally strangers don’t touch or talk on the metro, then flash forward to Holy Week a movie about the Camino comes on, then I find a scallop shell in the middle of the road today when I dropped my kids off at school?I feel like God wants me to walk the Camino but I’d don’t know where to begin, what it is really other than a pilgrimage I was wondering if anyone here has walked it any advice on where to get good info and how to go about doing it? I know it’s in Spain somewhere though so I’d need a book passport to get there but do you need church approval to do it since it’s a pilgrimage?

 

[Exiled_Child]

I never have, no, but I’m determined to some day. I love the idea; it very much appeals to me, too! Hey, by any chance have you seen the film The Way? I got the video from my local library a few years ago, and I enjoyed it. Just a couple days ago I finally broke down and got Netflix, and I saw that they have it on there streaming. But anyway, it’s kind of a bittersweet story about a man walking the Camino. It’s worth checking out…

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_(film

 

[Irishmom2]

I second watching that movie. But I warn you…after you watch it, you will really want to go.

I am holding out for climbing Croagh Patrick, in Ireland someday.

 

[GEddie]

Only the last segment, just under 20 miles.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Stillsosola]

I never have, no, but I’m determined to some day. I love the idea; it very much appeals to me, too! Hey, by any chance have you seen the film The Way? I got the video from my local library a few years ago, and I enjoyed it. Just a couple days ago I finally broke down and got Netflix, and I saw that they have it on there streaming. But anyway, it’s kind of a bittersweet story about a man walking the Camino. It’s worth checking out…

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_(film

thats the movie i was refering to they played it here in mexico during holy week i was like omg that young man was just talking to me about el camino the other day now a movie about it and yes i enjoyed the movie martin sheen is excellent in it

 

[KEP1983]

Hi I wanted to share an odd experience I had a few months ago I was riding the metro by myself to the federal district of Mexico City and a young spaniard sat next to me he had a scallop shell tattoo on his inner arm he caught me looking and started telling me about the way of st James and how he walked it last year and that he came to Mexico to walk on his knees up tepeyac hill to see our lady of Guadalupe and he then squeezed my hand and said he hoped to see me on the camino one day, I was kind of shaken up obviously since normally strangers don’t touch or talk on the metro, then flash forward to Holy Week a movie about the Camino comes on, then I find a scallop shell in the middle of the road today when I dropped my kids off at school?I feel like God wants me to walk the Camino but I’d don’t know where to begin, what it is really other than a pilgrimage I was wondering if anyone here has walked it any advice on where to get good info and how to go about doing it? I know it’s in Spain somewhere though so I’d need a book passport to get there but do you need church approval to do it since it’s a pilgrimage?

I’d love to do that pilgrimage… but no, I haven’t. I’m pretty sure you don’t need church approval to go on a pilgrimage like this? I’m not sure though. You may want medical approval though haha.

I say: do it!

 

[Exiled_Child]

thats the movie i was refering to they played it here in mexico during holy week i was like omg that young man was just talking to me about el camino the other day now a movie about it and yes i enjoyed the movie martin sheen is excellent in it

Ha! He was talking to both of us!

 

[peter26]

I’ve read a book about it. You don’t need church approval, but there is a special “passport” available.

Most pilgrims carry a document called the credencial, purchased for a few euros from a Spanish tourist agency, a church or parish house on the route, a refugio, their church back home, or outside of Spain through the national St. James organization of that country. The credencial is a pass which gives access to inexpensive, sometimes free, overnight accommodation in refugios along the trail. Also known as the “pilgrim’s passport”, the credencial is stamped with the official St. James stamp of each town or refugio at which the pilgrim has stayed. It provides pilgrims with a record of where they ate or slept, and serves as proof to the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago that the journey was accomplished according to an official route, and thus that the pilgrim qualifies to receive a compostela (certificate of completion of the pilgrimage).

Most often the stamp can be obtained in the refugio, cathedral, or local church. If the church is closed, the town hall or office of tourism can provide a stamp, as can nearby youth hostels or private St. James addresses. Many of the small restaurants and cafes along the Camino also provide stamps. Outside Spain, the stamp can be associated with something of a ceremony, where the stamper and the pilgrim can share information. As the pilgrimage approaches Santiago, many of the stamps in small towns are self-service due to the greater number of pilgrims, while in the larger towns there are several options to obtain the stamp.
Compostela

The compostela is a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims on completing the Way. To earn the compostela one needs to walk a minimum of 100 km or cycle at least 200 km. In practice, for walkers, the closest convenient point to start is Sarria, as it has good bus and rail connections to other places in Spain. Pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela who have walked at least the last 100 km, or cycled 200 km to get there (as indicated on their credencial), and who state that their motivation was at least partially religious are eligible for the compostela from the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago. At the Pilgrim’s Office the credencial is examined for stamps and dates, and the pilgrim is asked to state whether the motivation in traveling the Camino was “religious”, “religious and other”, or “other”. In the case of “religious” or “religious and other” a compostela is available; in the case of “other” there is a simpler certificate in Spanish.

The compostela has been indulgenced since the Early Middle Ages and remains so to this day.[23] The full text of the certificate is in Latin and reads:

CAPITULUM huius Almae Apostolicae et Metropolitanae Ecclesiae Compostellanae sigilli Altaris Beati Jacobi Apostoli custos, ut omnibus Fidelibus et Perigrinis ex toto terrarum Orbe, devotionis affectu vel voti causa, ad limina Apostoli Nostri Hispaniarum Patroni ac Tutelaris SANCTI JACOBI convenientibus, authenticas visitationis litteras expediat, omnibus et singulis praesentes inspecturis, notum facit : (Latin version of name of recipient)

Hoc sacratissimum Templum pietatis causa devote visitasse. In quorum fidem praesentes litteras, sigillo ejusdem Sanctae Ecclesiae munitas, ei confero.

Datum Compostellae die (day) mensis (month) anno Dei (year)

Canonicus Deputatus pro Peregrinis

English translation:

The CHAPTER of this holy apostolic and metropolitan Church of Compostela, guardian of the seal of the Altar of the blessed Apostle James, in order that it may provide authentic certificates of visitation to all the faithful and to pilgrims from all over the earth who come with devout affection or for the sake of a vow to the shrine of our Apostle St. James, the patron and protector of Spain, hereby makes known to each and all who shall inspect this present document that [Name]

has visited this most sacred temple for the sake of pious devotion. As a faithful witness of these things I confer upon him [or her] the present document, authenticated by the seal of the same Holy Church.

Given at Compostela on the [day] of the month of [month] in the year of the Lord [year].

Deputy Canon for Pilgrims

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago

 

[Stillsosola]

I never have, no, but I’m determined to some day. I love the idea; it very much appeals to me, too! Hey, by any chance have you seen the film The Way? I got the video from my local library a few years ago, and I enjoyed it. Just a couple days ago I finally broke down and got Netflix, and I saw that they have it on there streaming. But anyway, it’s kind of a bittersweet story about a man walking the Camino. It’s worth checking out…

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_(film

I love the idea of walking an ancient pilgrimage as well but my husband doesn’t like the peso to euro exchange rate lol but I am determined to go back to tepeyac to see our lady here in Mexico when my house is finished not the Camino but the closest I’ll probably get at this point in life