Pilgrimage
Camino de Santiago

The apostle James the Greater (differentiating him from the other apostle that is also named James), travelled west after the ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He continued to evangelize and ended up in the Iberian peninsula, or current day Spain. After some challenges and the Blessed Virgin Mary appearing to him to encourage his work, he did return to Jerusalem where he was martyred. His body was taken back to Spain by his disciples and buried there. His tomb was lost for centuries.

Only in the 9^th century did a hermit named Pelayo find a field of stars that were supernatural. Pelayo told his Bishop who took his delegation and followed the hermit to the location of these stars. They did not only find these celestial stars, but also an ornate tomb along with two other simpler tombs. After discussions and seeking counsel, the Bishop declared it a miracle and a sign from heaven that it was the lost tomb of St. James the Greater, along with two of his disciples. It is believed that in Spanish “campo de estrellas” (meaning field of stars) over time was merged into the one word: Compostela. The Bishop informed the king at the time, Alfonso II of Asturias. The king ordered a chapel erected and made a pilgrimage to the tomb from his royal court in the city of Oviedo. Thus, the first pilgrimage was made to Santiago de Compostela.

Devotion to St. James spread throughout Spain and most of western Europe during the 10^th century onwards. Making a pilgrimage to pray before the tomb of the Apostle grew in popularity. In 1492, the Pope declared the pilgrimage to Santiago one of the three great pilgrimages of Christendom along with Rome and Jerusalem. The devotion to this ancient pilgrimage continues through the present day. Although not all embark on it for spiritual reasons, the popularity soared to 446,000 people completing the Camino de Santiago in 2023. Often on the path, Spaniards will greet the pilgrims as they walk wishing them a good journey by saying: buen camino.

The Cross of Santiago

The scallop shell symbolic of not only baptism, but the rugged coast of Northwestern Spain with its abundant and unique seafood. Finding a shell in the beaches and returning home with it was a way to show that one had completed a pilgrimage to Santiago.

The symbol of the scallop shell with the cross of Santiago on it served a purpose during the medieval times. Pilgrims marked with the shell were protected vigorously and to be offered shelter as they were on a spiritual journey. Failure to do so was punishable by law. This tradition continues to the present day.