Altar at the Cathedral of St. James in
Santiago de Compostela (Santiago Tourism photo)
Whatever
route one takes to Santiago, the end of the journey is the same today as it has
been for a thousand years: the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where
the relics of St. James are kept. Pilgrims complete their long journey in the
huge square that lies before the church, gazing upward at the massive structure
formed of Galician granite.
What happens next has, over the centuries, become a
highly ritualized set of actions. After climbing the cathedral stairs and
entering its doors, the first sight that greets pilgrims is the spectacular
Portico de la Gloria, an entryway of carved stone that is considered one of the
masterpieces of medieval art. The entryway was created over a twenty-year
period by the master sculptor Mateo, who finished the remarkable frieze in
1188. Carved into its center column is the figure of St. James, while above him
Christ sits surrounded by his disciples and dozens of other religious figures
and motifs, a work one could easily spend a day contemplating (indeed, in the
Middle Ages such works were said to be the Bible of the poor).
Touching the Pillar in the Cathedral (Lori
Erickson photo)
Pilgrims are instructed to place their hand on the
pillar where St. James stands, finding the deep grooves formed by the hands of
the millions of travelers who have come here before them. As they touch the
pillar, they are to say the prayer of petition that has brought them on
pilgrimage. Then they walk to the other side of the column where a small statue
stands, a figure that is believed to be the self-portrait of the stonemason
Mateo. To receive some of the master’s wisdom, they must knock their forehead
three times gently on his head.
And then, at last, one can contemplate the interior
of the cathedral. At the end of the long center aisle, a dazzling Baroque altar
blazes with gold. It includes three depictions of St. James: as teacher,
pilgrim, and knight. But this magnificent, overwhelmingly ornate altar welcomes
pilgrims in a surprisingly intimate way: visitors are invited to climb
the stairs that lead to an area behind the altar, where they can embrace the
gilded statue of St. James from behind, wrapping their arms around him in a
hug. After this familial embrace, pilgrims descend into the crypt where the
saint’s relics are kept in a silver casket. The final pilgrim’s task is to
attend a mass in the cathedral.
If pilgrims are fortunate, they can time their
visit to coincide with a service during which the cathedral’s botafumeiro, a
huge incensory made of silver-plated brass, is used. During special services at
the cathedral, the 170-pound censer swings like an enormous pendulum through
the sanctuary, leaving behind a trail of smoke and the fragrance of incense.
In this
hushed sanctuary, an air of holiness is palpable. The cathedral seems filled
with the petitions of the millions of pilgrims who have journeyed here over the
centuries, bringing their prayers, hopes, dreams, and pleadings for mercy.
After traveling so far to arrive here, many people spend hours in contemplation
in the church, clearly reluctant to end their pilgrimage.
Worth double checking dates yourself:
As in 2013 / 14, Botafumeiro is running every Fridays at 19.30 mass, as well
as in the main liturgical dates of the year, see below.
- Mary, Mother of God (Thursday, January
1, 2015)
Holy Day of Obligation
- Ash Wednesday (Wednesday, February 18, 2015)
- Palm Sunday (Sunday, March 29, 2015)
- Holy Thursday (Thursday, April 2, 2015)
- Good Friday (Friday, April 3, 2015)
- Holy Saturday (Saturday, April 4, 2015)
- Easter Sunday (Sunday, April 5, 2015)
- Divine Mercy Sunday (Sunday, April 12, 2015)
- Ascension (Thursday, May 14, 2015)
Holy Day of Obligation (transferred to Sunday, May 17, 2015, in most dioceses of the United States; see Is Ascension a Holy Day of Obligation? for more details)
- Pentecost Sunday (Sunday, May 24, 2015)
- Trinity Sunday (Sunday, May 31, 2015)
- Corpus Christi (Thursday, June 4, 2015; transferred to Sunday, June 7, 2015)
- Sacred Heart of Jesus (Friday, June 12, 2015)
- Assumption of Mary (Saturday, August
15, 2015)
Holy Day of Obligation (abrogated because it falls on a Saturday; see Is Assumption a Holy Day of Obligation? for more details)
- All Saints Day (Sunday, November 1,
2015)
Holy Day of Obligation
- First Sunday of Advent (Sunday,
November 29, 2015)
Complete Advent schedule
- Immaculate Conception (Tuesday,
December 8, 2015)
Holy Day of Obligation
- Christmas (Friday, December 25, 2015)
