In our Christmas edition of Milltown News we flagged the prospect of a parish group making what is
popularly called the Camino (journey) to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. This journey can be described
as a combined ‘adventure cum pilgrimage’ which has become increasingly popular in recent years. It was
suggested that a small representative group from Milltown might like to join in this trek across Galicia to
Compostela in northern Spain during the coming summer, where young and old from very many countries of the
world converge either for the feast day of St. James in July or at another date during the holiday season. This
journey has been undertaken by millions of travellers /pilgrims over the last one thousand years. During the last
twenty years it has attracted more and more enthusiasts, increasing fivefold during that time. Some one hundred thousand pilgrims
travelled this hallowed route during AD 2007.
At the journey’s end in Santiago a carnival atmosphere surrounds the celebrations in honour of the Apostle. How one gets to Santiago
varies. Most of the younger pilgrims walk a large part, if not all, of the way, crossing the Pyrenees from France to Spain complete
with their scallop shell emblem (the sign of St. James) and special pilgrim’s staff. Genuine pilgrims are expected to complete one
hundred kilometres on foot or on bicycle to merit their official certificate of achievement.
The road to Compostela offers an experience which mingles enjoyable tourism, an exercise in physical fitness and a challenge to the
instinct for pilgrimage that has forever been present in all the great religions of the world. The Compostela journey caters for every
shade of belief and for that curiosity which dwells deep in everybody, of every age. Along the pilgrimage way one finds hostels or
‘refugios’ where backpackers and other less hardy folk receive free overnight lodgings. The special camaraderie of the Camino
abounds, especially each night, around the fires in the courtyards of the ‘refugios’.
If there is any family or individual in the parish who is tempted to embark with us on this summer adventure, more information is
available at the parish office. In addition, Ms Patricia Kenny of MAP Travel (phone 01.8783111) will advise on details of the trip,
including particulars of our route, besides organising accommodation of your choice, ranging from ‘refugios’ to ‘paradors’! Plans
for this excursion should be made as soon as possible.
