Where Yarmiks Roam: #38-Walking the Camino-May 29, 2016

3rd day of exploring Santiago

I am really thankful we got to the Cathedral at 3:00 pm and got front row seats for this event which we learned about from this poster taped to a glass window on one of the many small chapels situated around the inside of the cathedral.

First things first. We were determined to visit the Pilgrimage Museum- especially after our complete failure to find the correct one yesterday. Granted, we did find the one in the guide book at the noted address but it was definitely closed. Not to leave anything to chance, we told the taxi driver to go to the "new" one-not the "old " one. Miraculously he understood perfectly. We were a bit dumbfounded and annoyed when he dropped us off, because we had walked by it many times and there was a big sign on the front of the building. I'm blaming it on the lady at the pilgrim tourist place who said, "go up the stairs and that way.....as she bent her arm to the right and twisted".

It was a GREAT museum. Ultra modern facility across the plaza (and up the stairs to the right) from the cathedral finished in the 1200's. There were so many displays that helped us understand everything about the pilgrimages in general and the Santiago one in particular. Lots of paintings, sculptures, artifacts, models and so forth. All the displays were really meaningful to us and probably to other pilgrims. What I like best is how James the Apostle was used over the centuries to become what the church or the royalty, or the common people wanted. Church - a saint's relics to promote Santiago as a destination place which promotes wealth.

Knight/Soldier - helps a ruling King to justify his empire building

Common Pilgrim - an example of piety and the desire to follow Jesus' teachings.

On the third floor there was this skylight that offered a great view of the cathedral's towers.

And we liked this recessed hand rail with indirect lighting.

We were in the museum from open to closed (10:15 to 1:45). Then we headed to the Alameda which is Santiago's green space and a perfect place for our picnic lunch. Lots of kids playing on tricycles and scooters while their parents sat on the grass. Lots of adult children out walking with their parents.

There were several structures and we thought flea market! Or food? No- book stall. One had some books in English and I bought one to read on the way home.

Then we headed back into the old city to go to the cathedral for what we hoped would be the big event.

Here's potential dinner

We had contacted a friend of Warren's named Elliott Wise. He has his Ph.D. In Art History and now teaches...probably art history.....at BYU. He wrote us the following which will describe to you what was going to happen.

_______________

WOW! You picked the most ideal time imaginable to be at Santiago de
Compostela. It's one of my dreams to go to that most famous of
pilgrimage sites during the Middle Ages, and I cannot think of a
better occasion (other than perhaps the Feast of St. James) to be at
Santiago! You might want to also attend the Solemn Mass at 7:30 pm
before the procession. From the poster it looks like the archbishop
will be celebrating the Mass, and there will be lots of beautiful
music and pageantry. At the end of the Mass, the archbishop will have
a liturgical cloth placed over his shoulders so that he can hold the
monstrance without touching it with his hands (that gold and silver
receptacle in the poster with the round window through which you can
see the Sacramental bread, or "Host" is a monstrance). Then, amid
lots of incense, he will solemnly bless the congregation, making the
sign of the cross with the monstrance. Usually they carry the
monstrance under a canopy through the streets with lots of incense,
singing, etc.

There were many extremely precious monstrances made for occasions such
as this during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, and I bet for
Corpus Christi Day, Santiago might just get one of those old ones out
of the church treasury to use. So if it looks like there are jewels
and gold on the monstrance, they're probably real! Most Corpus Christi
processions include a very famous medieval hymn written by St. Thomas
Aquinas called, "Pange lingua gloriosi," which they should chant for
at least part of the procession. It's very solemn and reverent
sounding.

Well, I'm extremely envious of this magnificent opportunity that you
will have! Please do take lots of pictures. I'm actually going to
Corpus Christi Mass myself in Salt Lake City at the Cathedral of the
Madeline this Sunday with a friend and then to her ward afterwards.
I'm afraid it won't be as grand as the celebration at Santiago de
Compostela, though!
_____________________

So, we were there 3:00 to get the best seats and wait.

You know how a cathedral is designed--

The pews are arranged in the shape of a cross like this and you can see where we were sitting

Nobody in front of us. Yes!!! Not much happening. Tourists milling around. Very hard wooden seats.

Time passing Time for a WC break. One at a time (in order to save seat)...out south door-around to west side- cross plaza- down long set of stairs-back up stairs- around cathedral to east door (Door of Pardon)- back to seat.

Wishing I could lie down on pew but that would not be reverent.

Some new activity. Priests appear. Setting things up for 6:00 mass. And mass begins and ends

Then things really start happening. Gas candles are suddenly flickering on the alter, ceiling lights come on way up high, lights brighten behind the alter. Many priests in all different garbs setting up things.

A lot of people show up- mostly women in nice church clothes. And there we were in our not particularly clean hiking pants and shirts- but we were very reverent. It was like at home, in church, where everybody sits in their usual seats. We were definitely in someone else's seat. This matronly short lady comes up, looks at us, bends over to talk to the two women on my right, looks at Dad, and then wiggles in beside him, and we shift one bottom's space to the right.

A security guy steps to the microphone and says clearly in two languages. TURN off your phones and PUT AWAY your camera.

Lots of bustling going on. In and out thru the space cordoned off. People who take the offering are getting their red collection bags. Wait! The cords are removed and two VIP couples come in sit down right in front of us!!! You could tell they were either politically powerful or rich, or big contributors, or all three. Everybody was greeting them, kissing both cheeks, and so one. I figured they were nice folks and didn't mind that their heads were blocking my view.

Then a hush fell over the cathedral - like in General Conference when Ptesident Monson walks on the podium. And right in front of us the Archbishop of Santiago enters and goes up to the altar. Mass begins and ends very much like the one in Leon 2 or 3 weeks ago.

It's over and now lots more bustling. The mobile altar enters it is all covered but you can see the pneumatic tires underneath suitable for pushing on cobblestone streets

Someone hands the golden monstrance to the Archbishop, and he puts the host (a communion wafer for use during sacrament) in place. Then the canopy is brought up by six slightly clumsy men.

Suddenly it is over the Archbishop , and he is walking down the stairs right in front of me!!!!

The entourage now heads for the south door. The crowd is like after a football game as everybody is going out the same door. But it is reverent - quiet, at steady pace like you'd march to a sacrament hymn. Now we're outside. There is a marching band playing, along the way there is a choir singing at several spots. The choir finishes singing, the marching continues, and because of a lot of pre planning the choir shows up later having probably gone through stores and back alleys

Tossing flower petals

Guys pushing the vehicle.

This is the VIP who sat in front of us. He's part of the parade not like me running up the side to take photos. He is really quite attractive, and the photographer simply didn't get a good shot.