As part of the St. Paul’s Lenten Recital Series, Dr. Kerley agreed to give a short
lecture recounting his and Sherry’s recent trip along the “El Camino”, through
Spain and France.
His lecture was a fitting lead in to the concert by Eya, presenting
Medieval Music of Spain.
Below is a video of the lecture.
Finesterra - Going to The End of the Earth
Dear Ones -
This sign post marks the end of the Pilgrimage
This will be the last blog I will post about our most recent excursion along The Camino. As you may recall, this is the third time we have journeyed along some part of “the Pilgrimage to Santiago.” In whatever international travel is left for us to do, I can’t imagine that traveling any part of The Camino will be a part of it. So this will be a fond farewell to an idea and experiences that have been part of our lives for many years now.
We have been back from this Pilgrimage for over a week now so I’ve had some time to get a bit of perspective on the entire journey.
The first thing I want to get out of the way is the fact that this trip was without question one of the most difficult we have made. The single factor that made this so was the, at times, almost unbearable heat. The part of France and Spain we travelled was experiencing unseasonably hot weather, the hottest on record ever. And, much of that part of the world does not have air conditioning. The hotels did not have air conditioning and the coaches on which we rode did not have cooling systems that were up to the heat outside. Being outside walking from place to place put us in both intense heat and light.
It is fitting that this is my last blog about this trip because on the last day we were in Santiago, we went to Finisterra, which literally means “the end of the earth.” I did not know, until this trip, that for years it has been considered by “real Pilgrims” that the Pilgrimage is not complete until and unless one walks on many miles on to the place on the coast where it is alleged that St. James’ body came ashore. Getting there meant driving on a long, winding mountain road. I can’t imagine what the journey might be like for someone walking, especially in this heart. But many Pilgrims made the journey.
When we arrived we hiked down to the rocky promontory and had an “Evening Prayer” service. One of the things I most deeply appreciate about traveling with Peter Sills is that he brings his authentic piety to every aspect of the journey. As I’ve written earlier, the first Pilgrims were not tourists. They travelled with monks or priests and, further, they stayed at monasteries and places staffed by religious orders for the purpose of providing safety and nourishment to the Pilgrims.
Peter Sills being honored our last day in Santiago.
All along the way Peter arranged for us to have a wide variety of services in these incredible places of beauty and history. Having a Eucharist service in a side chapel of Leon Cathedral is no small accomplishment. I am grateful to Peter for making things like this possible.
Indeed, I would have to say that one of the highlights of this trip for me was the opportunity to visit once again one of the great Gothic Cathedrals in the world, that of the one in Leon, Spain. This amazing structure, which took only fifty years to build, is breathtaking. The first time I walked into it, many years ago now, my involutional response was, “Where did this come from?” To think that it was built centuries ago is amazing enough but the art that is presented here in so many forms is an expression of a profound spirituality. I am grateful for the hours I got to spend inside of it again.
Writing these blogs has been a helpful way to insure aspects of this Pilgrimage stay fixed in my memory, as has keeping a journal about our experiences. Even though I’ve been able to post photographs about some aspects of the Pilgrimage, nothing can really communicate what it is like to see a rooster and a hen in a cage that has been part of a cathedral for centuries, nor what is like to experience the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos where the chanting of the monks was beyond beautiful. (By the way, you can hear them on their award-winning CDs.) The monastery where they live was begun in the 7th century.
To walk the entire five hundred miles of the Camino that begins in Le Puy, France is something I cannot imagine doing. People do it. Indeed, hundreds of thousands have done it since the Middle Ages. Even undertaking a modest aspect of the Camino such as we have done now three times, requires paying attention to many things, decisions about what to take along, what to focus on, etc.
Dualistic language, the only type we have, simply is not adequate to express the many metaphors traveling the Camino fulfills for the spiritual journey. Walking the Camino is full of contradiction and paradox from the beginning. To begin to to have arrived. We cannot “get to” a place where we “already are.” The end is in the beginning. Etc.
The common greeting on the Camino when meeting anyone is “Buen Camino!” It means, “blessing on your journey.” In our spiritual work we walk toward the Divine Presence in whom we already live. Our task is to pay attention to whether we are on the path or not. Again and again we get to ask ourselves whether we are experiencing peace, love, joy, patience and humility or not. And, even more importantly, whether these are the values we are giving expression to in and with our life journey.
We walk individually but we are not alone.
“Buen Camino!”
St. James and His Special Day
We are in Santiago, Spain on the day dedicated to St. James. Peter Sills had arranged for us to arrive here in time for this festive occasion. As I mentioned in my last blog, the festivities started yesterday. This is a national holiday in Spain and the heart of this celebration is here in Santiago where the bones of James are in the crypt underneath the cathedral. Even though the cathedral is undergoing restoration, it is still possible to enter it and to go down into the crypt. Though there are masses said all over Spain in honor of St. James, these services are said virtually every hour in churches in Santiago. We walked to the San Francisco Church, named after St. Francis and served by the Franciscans to attend the high noon mass today. We arrived a little after ten in the morning and stood at the edge of the crowd that attended the ten o’clock mass. There was standing room only. As soon as that service was over, people rushed to find seats for the next mass. It was raining in Santiago today but that deterred no one. We waited in our seats for over half an hour for the next mass to attend. In only a matter of minutes the cathedral was packed with people standing along the side aisles and in the chapels, sitting on the floor or wherever they could find a place.
Statue of St. James in San Francisco Cathedral
Before the service began lay leaders came to welcome Pilgrims. The welcome greetings were given in German, Italian, French, English and Spanish. When the service began a procession of at least twenty priest came down and entered the chancel. A young nun sang the service and though the main priest spoke in Spanish and gave his homily in Spanish, other priests would do parts of the service in English and some other languages. Hundreds of Pilgrims from all over the world have timed their Pilgrimages to end in Santiago to be here for this day. There are images of St. James all over the city - several in this church alone. As the service came to a close a procession of priests went to the Statue of St. James that is in this cathedral to swing the censor and chant special prayers. It was the highlight of the service and an extraordinarily moving time for many of those who have walked hundreds of miles to be here.
In all of the Jesus’ narratives there are stories told about men, though we now know this was apparently true of women as well, who abruptly left their expected roles and vocations to follow the itinerant Jesus on his journey. Two of the first of these, according to the story, were fishermen - James and his brother John. As soon as Jesus called them, they left what they were doing to follow him. These were two strong characters. Jesus called them “the sons of thunder.” These are the ones who asked Jesus if they could sit one on his right hand and one on his left. Jesus is said to have responded to them, “You don’t know what you are asking.”
James was the first apostle to die in the persecution of Jesus followers. He was beheaded by Herod (Acts 12:1 - 2) Here is what Peter Sills put in our guidebook:
Another statue of St. James
“According to legend, before his martyrdom, James preached the gospel in Spain, part of the scattering of the acpostles across the world, and that after his death his disples places his body in a rudderless boat that was guided by the Spirit to the town of Iria Flavia (known today as Padron) in Galicia. From there his body was taken for burial in what is now known as Compostella. From the first century until the ninth his body laid there unnoticed, then a hermit was led by a star to a field where the relics, believed to be those of St. James, were discovered. ‘Compostella’ is generally said to mean ‘field of the star,’ though most scholars agree that it is a version of the Latin world for ‘burial,’ in other words, a cenetery.”
Of course, this is a legend and not everyone finds it convincing. But, since the tenth century, people have been making the Pilgrimage to Santiago. Of course, with the growth of global travel over the past number of years, the number of people coming to Santiago has dramatically increased. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there are dramatic differences between being a Pilgrim and being a tourist. I personally think this is a good metaphor for how we travel through our time on this planet as well. We either go with intent or we are aimless.
Arriving in Santiago
We arrived in Santiago in the late afternoon on the 23rd. A fair number of our group actually walked the last five or so miles - I was not among that number. As we got closer and closer to Santiago, the number of actual Pilgrims we saw walking kept increasing. I am impressed by someone undertaking this journey at any time but especially in this unseasonably hot weather.
We arrived at our hotel in the old town part of Santiago and were relieved to find that our room has working air conditioning. The first order of the day was a good long hot shower. We had dinner at 8, a smidgen earlier than the Spanish like to eat, Compline after that and then to bed.
The recently ordained Jesuit priest
After breakfast on Wednesday morning we walked to a nearby church where Peter had arranged for us to have a Eucharist service. Many of our own group participated in this service. Afterwards, we were led on a tour of the church by the young Jesuit priest who serves here. He was just ordained six weeks ago and this is his first church. He was absolutely delightful and so enthusiastic about his new vocation.
After this tour of the church, again a building that dates from the 15th century, Peter had arranged for a local guide to give us a tour of “old town” Santiago. The first thing we saw was the local market - three long buildings built shortly after the church and built to resemble this church. The guide described the buildings themselves as “naves” and the stalls for the vendors that ran along both side of them as “chapels.” The fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, spices, baked good, etc. were much larger than Central Market in Houston. An ancient tradition in an ancient city.
Today marks the beginning of the Festival of St. James and our Pilgrimage has been timed so that we would end up here on this day. There are thousands of Pilgrims here. Most of them are young people - in their late teens, twenties and thirties. They are exhausted and many were stretched out in the sun on the plaza in front of the Cathedral. Later in the day I ran into a group of four young men staying at the same hotel we are. They have walked from the coast of Northern Spain to here - a long distance. They were speaking English so I got to talk to them about their motivations for doing this. None of what they said had to do with a “spiritual” aspiration. They are fulfilling an academic requirement or simply doing it because of the physical challenge. One was from Texas and another, ironically, had connections with my home town in Tennessee.
The Pilgrim Passport of a young man from Italy who walked here from Italy
When modern day Pilgrims set out for Santiago, there are places where they can have a Pilgrim “passport” stamped. This authenticates that they have actually made the Pilgrimage. In order to receive an official certificate as a Pilgrim one has to have walked at least the last 100 kilometers of the Pilgrim route you have chosen.
There are hundreds of thousands of people who have undertaken this Pilgrimage and this has been true since the early Middle Ages. There are thousands of Pilgrims here now as today is the beginning of the Festival of St. James - not only the reason people undertake the Pilgrimage but also the patron saint of Spain. There will be a huge fireworks display and festivities tonight and masses and celebrations all day tomorrow.
I would love to have the opportunity to interview even more people than those young men who have actually walked enough to get a Pilgrim Certificate. I would love to know their motivation. This is not a modest undertaking in any sense of the word. What are they seeking or hoping for? Last year well over 300,000 people received Pilgrim Certificates. If you want a more dramatic presentation of the Pilgrimage, rent the movie “The Way” (2010). In it Martin Sheen learns that his son has died early along the route and takes up the Pilgrimage in order to complete it on his son’s behalf. Our guide said today that walking the most popular route, the one in France from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago takes about 35 or 40 days walking around 12 to 14 miles a day. Again, that’s quite a commitment. The family from Italy walked further than that and after hearing about their journey I could tell that this accomplishment truly meant something to them.
The Cathedrao in Santiago
There is a Pilgrim Mass celebrated twice a day. Priests speak a word of welcome in the language of every country that is represented by those who have received Pilgrim Certificates. When we were here before, we attended one of these masses. This is where the huge censor is swung the entire length of the cathedral. Unfortunately, the cathedral is closed this year for renovations. Masses for the Festival of St. James will be celebrated hourly are various churches throughout not only Santiago but also all of Spain tomorrow.
This building is clearly impressive. Even under the process of being “renewed,” we were able to go into it and experience is massiveness. Tonight the festivities will go on through the early morning hours - the fireworks display, the main one as they have been going off all day, will begin at midnight.
I did not grow up in a religious tradition that honored “saints.” Clearly, people here do. This is my third “St. James” Pilgrimage. Another one I made, some of you may remember, was the St. Nicholas’s Pilgrimage in Italy. James, like Nicholas, was a real person who was a major player in the beginning of the Jesus’ movement. His significance in the early church was major as well as in the developing Jesus narratives. I’ll say more about him in the next blog. Suffice it for now to say that St. James is huge in the Spanish Church and in the Spanish culture. This festival that begins today and extends through tomorrow is bigger than our Fourth of July and Christmas combined. I doubt people here could tell you in any depth what the meaning of this event is any more than most Americans can explain those two holidays we celebrate. But, like us, they do celebrate this Saint’s day and with a passion.
Places Worth Protecting
Altarpiece in the Cathedral in Burgos
I’ll leave it to you, if you wish to do so, to seek out the meaning and the list of places registered as “World Heritage Sites.” We have visited several on this Pilgrimage. I will share a couple of them with you.
On this past Sunday, July 21, we were in Burgos - still following the Pilgrim route to Santiago. Burgos is the capital of Castile and is noted for its Gothic Cathedral which is a World Heritage Site. There were four masses that morning and we decided to attend the Capitular Mass which was a sung mass at noon. The services were not held in the main cathedral but in a side chapel which was as large at St. Paul’s. The ornateness of the altarpiece in the chancel was overwhelming. Yes, that is real gold leaf you see in the photo. The cynic in me thought: “There must be no poverty in the world if the church has enough money left over to do this.” I also thought of the artistry that went into this piece that was created centuries ago.
Once again, the space was packed with worshippers with no place for them all to sit. And, I could tell that those who were in attendance were not tourists. This was a regular congregation of folks who gather each Sunday for this service. Lay readers, both female, came from the congregation. Ushers and those taking the collection were also female. In this male-dominated church this is something. The congregation participated enthusiastically in the service. It was impressive and well done liturgy.
The Cathedral in Burgos
We wanted to go into the cathedral proper but it was closed. St. Jame’s Day is coming and this is a national holiday in Spain as St. Jame’s is their patron saint. All over the country, but especially as we get nearer to Compostela, preparations for this huge event are being made.
Those of you who have heard or read me often know of my love for gothic architecture. Buildings like this often took over a hundred years to complete. The men and woman who worked on them knew that they would likely not live to see their work completed. Attention to every detail regardless of whether it might ever be seen by another was important to the artists and craftspeople who created these structures.
Cloister at Santo Domingo de Silos
On that Sunday afternoon we went by coach away from Burgos to go to another World Heritage Site. This was to visit the monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos. This monastery dates back to the Visigothic period of the 7th century. The buildings we saw were of a later date and the two-story chorister is considered a masterpiece of Romanesque art. The carvings on each of the capitals is a different scene and the relief panels on the walls of the chorister are masterpieces. Archeological work, which we were allowed to see, reveals some of what was here from the 7th century. Absolutely amazing. We only saw a couple of the monks in passing but found out later that a CD of some of their chant music was widely and highly regarded a few years ago. One of our group purchased a CD from the shop here and played it for us on the coach ride back to Burgos.
Stained glass in the cathedral in Leon
On Monday we left Burgos. We stopped for the day in Leon. This is one of the places I had been anticipating seeing once again. I had been able to visit the cathedral here twice before and it is, in my opinion, perhaps the finest examples of French-style classic Gothic architecture in the world.
Peter had arranged for us to have a Eucharist service in the chapel here as soon as we arrived. A rare treat. Then we had time to tour, with the aid of an audio guide, this massive cathedral.
Trying to convey this structure with a photograph is like trying to communicate what the Grand Canyon is like with one photograph. Can’t be done. The first time I walked into this cathedral many years ago, I had no idea what was in store for me. It literally took my breath away. My involutionary response was, “Where did this come from?” This time I found out that it took only fifty years to build this cathedral. A short period of time comparatively speaking. Spain has recognized the importance of this masterpiece and it, too, is considered a “world treasure.”
The poet Wendell Berry said in an interview I once heard him give that all the world is sacred, we have just desecrated much of it. I agree with that. Every place and every one is sacred. Every place and every one is worth being so-labeled and protected. These places that we have visited, those designated as “treasures” and those that have not, can serve as reminders of this - that we are called to honor all who are and all that is. There is no division between sacred and secular. And yet, and yet - when I walk into a space like the cathedral in Leon, I know that I am inside a piece of art that in its own way is like a piece of music by Mozart - something special. I hope this motivates me and all who experience it to see the sacredness in all who are and all that is. Everyone and every place is worthy of being a “world treasure.”
Where Roosters Crow After Being Roasted
The sign of the scallop shell is everywhere
We are now in Spain and have been for several days. As we get closer to Santiago images of the scallop shell, symbol of “the Camino,” are more and more prominent. As are “pilgrims” who are recognized by their hiking gear and the scallop shells hanging off their backpacks.
A view from atop the Pyrenees
After arriving here, we went to the “super market,” to buy some necessities. As we approached the pay station, I noticed a selection of wines. I said, thinking I was speaking to Sherry, “Help me out here. I’d like a nice dry white wine for our room.” The woman in front of me turned and said, pointing to one of the bottles on the shelf, “I think you’d like this one.” I was startled by her perfect English and said, “Where are you from?” She said, “Pittsburg, Pennsylvania,” “Why are you here?” “We are walking the Camino.” “How long do you think it will take you?” (We are over 600 kilometers from Santiago.) She replied, “We hope to make it by the end of August or the first of September.
I can’t imagine what it must be like for people who are walking from any part of France to Santiago, Spain. We were able to take a tunnel through the mountains that cut hours off of our drive time. Now, as well as in earlier times, there were no tunnels and no cars. People hiked, and hike, over the Pyrenees to reach their destination. Before leaving France Peter Sills had arranged for us to take a cable car ride to the top of the mountain range. It is one of the longest such rides in the world. The view, as you can tell was spectacular.
Several years ago before doing our first journey on part of the Camino, from Mont-Saint-Michel to Bordeaux. Peter Sills suggested we read a book, “On Being a Pilgrim.” It is a coffee-table size book with wonderful photos and stories of the Pilgrimage. It contained a legend about a German Pilgrim who was walking to Santiago with his parents. They decided to stop and rest at Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The daughter of the man who owned the inn fell immediately in love with the young man. He did not return her feelings. Angered, she hid a silver goblet in his belongings and then accused him of being a thief. The penalty was death by hanging so the young man was hung. His parents were grief stricken but decided to complete the Pilgrimage to Santiago anyway. On their return to Germany they stopped at the place where their son was executed. They found him to be alive. They went to the bishop to report this miracle. The bishop was busy eating his dinner of roasted chicken. He heard them out while he was eating and responded by saying, “I don’t believe this to be true. That boy is as alive as this chicken I am about to eat.” With that the chicken came to life, sprouted feathers and beak and began to crow and jumped off of the table. Ever since then a gothic henhouse with an alive rooster and a hen has been part of the cathedral building. It is just inside and over one of the main doors leading into the cathedral nave.
A rooster in the henhouse above the cathedral door
On this trip we stopped at this cathedral for evening prayer and I was able to see for myself the henhouse that has been part of this cathedral for centuries.
Again, I can’t imagine what it was like to make this Pilgrimage when it first began in the 9th century. This particular church, now a cathedral of massive proportions, was built by a hermit monk in order to provide rest and refreshment for those making the Pilgrimage. Pilgrims also aided each other in a multitude of ways along the journey - all the way from making helpful suggestions about wine to telling parable about the new life that was possible for those who made this journey in faith.
Seeking Healing and Being Healed
Yesterday we went to Lourdes.
All the people in blue are waiting to be taken to the spring waters which are said to offer healing
Sherry and I had been there once before quite by accident and not having the expertise that Peter Sills brings to this Pilgrimage. He had no intent for us to do anything but simply experience it up close. A photograph won’t/can’t do it justice. There are hundreds of thousands of people here on any given day. One Sunday a few years ago we attended Sunday Morning Mass held outside in Vatican Square in Rome. Someone estimated that crowd at being 60,000. That was small compared with what we saw at Lourdes. Close to half the people we saw were either being pushed or pulled in wheel chairs designed especially for this place. There are people with all sorts of infirmities and physical conditions. Some are matters they have lived with since birth, some the result of accident or illness. I stood on one of the lower balconies of the huge church complex that is built here and took this photograph.
One view of the long plaza that leads to the church
Peter told us as we were driving in that this is the third most highly attended Pilgrimage site for Christians in the world. Over time an airport had to be built to accommodate those who wanted to visit. There is a higher ratio of hotel rooms and stores selling religious memorabilia than even in Rome.
We spent several hours walking from one end of the huge plaza that extends from the church toward to town. As we walked and looked and noticed and tried to see, I was filled with a combination of cynicism and awe. Clearly there are people profiting on the misery of others - or their loved ones. You can buy a candle to burn in the grotto for anywhere from $2 to $150. Also, it is clear that people, some in obvious despair and pain, have come here or been brought here hoping for a healing of some sort. In conversation with another person on this journey I heard the comment, “Well, there is spiritual healing in addition to physical healing.” I know that. I also know that many of the people I saw here came not for spiritual healing but for a true miracle of being restored to full physical health.
I compared my experience at Lourdes with the experience we had just the night before. We had gone to another Benedictine monastery. The monk in charge of receiving us was so warmly welcoming. He saw to it that we were served refreshments including samples of the chocolate made by the monks here. It is one of the ways they support their order. The “chocolate factory” is quite large - we saw it on our drive out.
Cloisters at L’Abbaye Norte-Dame-de-Tourney
After this welcome, we had time to walk the grounds of the Abbey, including the small but wonderful cloisters. There has been a church at Tournay from the earliest of times. Suppressed during the Revolution, the monastery was re-founded in the 1950s by Benedictine monks. So, the Abbey Church is not old at all. But, it was built to acoustical perfection.
The monks invited us to join them for Vespers. We entered the church. We had not been told that it was their custom to begin each vesper service with a silent sitting meditation of thirty minutes. I knew something was up when I saw one of the monks pull out a meditation bench like the one I use at the beginning of the service. We were in for something different.
After the thirty minutes of silence, they began to chant the service. Though there were fewer than forty monks it sounded like there were many more. Deep, rich male voices doing what they feel is their calling to do. For healing and wholeness, I will take this kind of experience over the religious commercialization of Lourdes any day.
What heals you? What brings you wholeness? How do you seek it out and affirm it?
Being in the sacred spaces we are getting exposed to on this Pilgrimage is one door for me. The other, of course, is joy and humor. So, I will add this one other personal note. (I am not clear, given the schedule that is before us for the next few days, when I would be able to post another blog.)
One view from the choir toward the massive organ.
On Tuesday we visited the Cathedral Saint-Bertrand. It is located in a hilltop village. It is a massive Romano-Gothic cathedral and is noted for its beautiful enclosed paneled choir and cloister. This choir will easily hold sixty or more monks chanting and singing services.
Saint “Steve Jobs”
Each choir stall is hand carved in the most intricate and distinctive detail. The care and craftsmanship that went into creating this massive wooden structure is amazing. I took numerous photographs all around the choir. There are hand carved depictions of Jesus being tempted by Satan, of Adam and Eve leaving the garden and many, many more. These are three dimensional carvings perhaps a foot in height. They are all around the choir. Each choir seat is hand carved and each is different from the other. On the panel that would be behind each monk some saint or biblical scene would be carved. I just had to take a picture of this one. I’m calling it St. Steve Jobs because, whoever this saint is, he is clearly caring an iPhone. Not bad for something dating from he 12th century.
Why Make a Pilgrimage?
There has been a church here from likely the first century.
For some the word “pilgrimage” might imply that one is searching for something that has not yet been found. That both is and is not true in the case of a “spiritual seeker.” The Pilgrim knows where one is going on a geographical pilgrimage. In this case to Santiago. The Pilgrim has found enough of what she or he has been looking for to want more. More, the Pilgrim has heard testimony from those who have made the trip before. And, even more, the Pilgrim seeks to see and experience the sites and rituals that bound the Pilgrims together, that gave them strength and courage for their journey. I am sure there are even more reasons than these.
Those of you who read Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations know that lately he has been writing about two themes. That of the prophetic element in a religion and the role of mysticism. I have thought a lot about both of these things as we make our journey.
Lynn Boughton Pointing out Symbols in the Church
We stoped for a visit, and morning prayers, at this church. Though only foundation lines are able to be seen now, excavation is being done as we are here, a huge Roman city once occupied the grounds where this current church stands. The person who is accompaning us on this Pilgrimage, Lynn Boughton, a lecturer at Cambridge, has a vast knowledge of the meaning of carvings on the doors and in the buildings we are seeing. I won’t mention her by name each time but be aware that most of the information I am sharing is coming from her expertise. Like, for example, this is the area to which Herod and his wife were exiled not long after he had ordered the beheading of John the Baptist. Again, though this is not the actual building, she pointed out stones and signs in the construction, that reflected that a church has been on this spot since, likely, late in the first century. I don’t know about you but it affects me to be in the presence of something this old in our religious tradition.
Also, Lynn is a good metaphor for the value of a “spiritual teacher.” I would never have noticed some of the intricate things she is pointing out to us. The people who conceived of and created the statues and carvings may not have had the information and knowledge that people of our time think make us so special. But they had a depth of wisdom and understanding and a way of communicating their understanding of their world view, especially their religious and spiritual world view that gave meaning to their life. Perhaps the “new physics” may give us a deeper, or newer, appreciation about what it means to be surrounded by “a great cloud of witnesses.” In these places it doesn’t take much creative imagination to feel their presence.
My understanding is the the first Pilgrimage to Santiago began in Le Puy, France. Some people chose to make the Pilgrimage. Others were chosen to make it - they provided comfort and support along the way. Over time each person was invited to decide what he or she hoped to gain from the pilgrimage.
One of my reasons for being on this Pilgrimage is to experience Peter Sills’ expert liturgical leadership. He is providing us with opportunities that are so rich. For example, last evening we went to Vespers in another Benedictine Abbey. We sat with the monks in silent meditation for half an hour before listening to them chant the service. It was, for me, a mystical experience.
I personally do not believe that it is possible to be involved in a liturgical experience like this and remained unaffected by how we relate to events that happen in the world. Radical hospitality, compassion and justice and required for the living of our lives. I believe one makes a Pilgrimage like this to stay reminded of this and to be strengthened for living life in a world like ours.
A Liminal Liturgical Experience
On past pilgrimages where I have posted blogs about our experience, it is been a complicated experience. I would write something and e-mail it to Wayne Herbert. Then I would e-mail pictures taken with my iPad or iPhone and e-mail them separately. Now, because of advances in technology, and thanks to Richard Wingfield and Holly Hudley for suggesting and coaching me, I can do this more easily - as long as I have a wi-fi connection. Consequently I am able to post more frequently. This is, of course, affected by what “free time” we have along the way. So far, not much. At least not much where writing and connectivity were possibilities.
This post will be brief. I’m writing it because I mainly wanted to share with you what has been one of the finest liturgical experiences I’ve ever had. Of course, traveling with Peter Sills insures that there will be several opportunities every day for some sort of communal worship experience - morning prayer, Eucharist, Compline, etc.
After we left Arles we departed for Castres. Castres grew up around the Benedictine Abbey founded in 647. On our first morning here, a Sunday and Bastille Day, we went to the Cathedral Saint-Benoit where we attended mass. As we gathered the organist was rehearsing and it was magnificent. A huge organ in a huge space that is centuries old. Amidst the wonderful organ pieces we heard the tune “Happy Birthday.” Only after mass did we learn that the priest who celebrated the mass and who gave the sermon was 82 years old this very day. For me, encouraging.
The attendance at mass was good and I was impressed by the number of families and young people in attendance. The priest’s sermon, I found out later, was based on the parable of the “Good Samaritan.” I don’t speak or understand French but was told by those who do that, in essence, the priest said, “Don’t even try to be a ‘Good Samaritan.’ By very definition you can’t. The minute you try, you step out of the story. Best, to let the Good Samaritan ‘love you’ by teaching you what you can learn from this parable about allowing everyone to be neighbor to you.” I had a professor in seminary who taught that there were three types of sermons: a sermon, a good sermon and a damn good sermon. This one was in the category of being “a damn good sermon.”
After mass we explored the city, even taking a boat ride in this place that is known as “the Venice of France.”
After enjoying the various “pilgrim sites” here we went to Dourgne. This is a stop, an ancient one also, on the Via Tolosana. We went to the monastery of Saint-Benoit d’En-Calcat. On the grounds there is an Abbey and we were to join the monks for Vespers.
Again my memories from previous trips did not prepare me for what we were about to experience.
After arriving we went into a room under the Library where we were shown a documentary about this place and the monks who live here. Peter told us that there is an active and working community of around fifty monks. The video showed us who they were and that they did.
A monastery is a community of people who have taken vows to live in community together. In this case these Benedictine monks support themselves and their community in a variety of ways. An Abbey is the place of worship, usually a church, where these religious people, as well as people from the surrounding community, gather for worship.
After exploring the Library and what of the grounds we were permitted to enter, we went into the Abbey for Vespers.
The Abbey where the monks sang vespers
We sat in silence and watched as, one by one, the robed monks entered the choir stalls on either side of the chancel. Again, from prior experience, I expected a half dozen and for these to be older men. Eventually, forty of them entered, mostly men under fifty and younger.
I could not take a photograph while the service was in progress. Doesn’t matter. No photo could have done it justice. It is like trying to take a picture of the Grand Canyon.
The choir was virtually filled with monks. There was an organ in the choir just for this purpose. The Abbey was fairly filled with worshippers from, I assume, the surrounding area. Again, I didn’t understand a word of what was sung - virtually nothing was spoken. But the sound was exquisite. The respectful movements of standing, giving reverence, silence for the sake of silence, the felt meaning and more moved me as much as any liturgical experience I have had in ages. My fellow pilgrims agreed. We moved out of the Abbey in silence and many said what I felt and experienced, “I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life.” Indeed.
So far this has been the single most powerful moment on the Pilgrimage. No words can convey it. I hope I’ve given you a hint of it. This Abbey and a community of religious have been here to pray for a support those making the Pilgrimage to Santiago. That history was palpable here. I am glad for it, to know about it, to be a part of it in some small way and to convey it to you.
Pilgrimages Aren’t Easy
The Sunset in Arles on our last day there.
At the end of our last day in Arles, we had a Compline Service on the river bank. Though France is further North than Houston, the sun seems to set later. We were gifted with some spectacular views.
The next day we were off for our next destinations. Though we would end the day in Castres, one of the stops early Pilgrims used, we would stop at two rather incredible places along the way.
The first was an Abbey built in the 11th century. It is located in St-Guilhem-le-Desert. Again, a place I had never heard of yet it is regarded as one of the grand sites of France and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is situated in the narrow valley of the Gellone river from which the Abbey takes its name.
Getting to this place is difficult. It was a long coach ride. The road ways are not our freeways but narrow, twisting roads up a mountain range. The Abbey was originally placed where it is because they wanted it to be difficult to reach. Until until the late 1900’s there was no road to this place. As an original stopping place for Pilgrims and as a place to provide hospitality for those who traveled to Santiago by foot or on pack horses, those who built this place wanted it to be reachable only by those who truly wanted to make the journey. As difficult as it was for us, for the last half a mile or so were walking up a steep narrow ancient village street, I can’t imagine what it must have been like for those who made the journey when this Abbey was finished in the 12th century.
Cloisters at the Abbaye-de-Guillone
After a time of rest after making the journey up, we joined the nuns of this Abbey for Mid-day Prayers. I’ve been to services like this on prior Pilgrimages - both with monks and nuns. Previously, they have been “ancient” for it seems no young people are joining these orders. Not so here. The nuns who sang the service were young, vibrant and happy. Extremely courteous in inviting us to participate with them in their worship. My guess is that these young women were originally from some French-speaking African country. We were not able to find out. The two head nuns were obviously of French nationality and fell into the “stereotype” of what I would have expected.
Afterwards, we walked the Cloisters of this Abbey. Originally, it had been a Benedictine Monastery. Higher up on the mountain one can see the remains of what I took to be an ancient heritage that would have been attached to the church and monastery.
After enjoying a meal with one of our fellow Pilgrims who used to spend the summer in this very village for the past twenty-five years, we got back on the coach to head for our final destination of the day, Castres.
The Devil’s Bridge
Along the way we drove past an ancient bridge called Le Pont du Diable (the Devil’s Bridge.)
Legend has it that as the monks were building their monastery, they needed a bridge to cross the gorge created by the river between them and their destination. They would work and work on their bridge and the next day all their work would have been destroyed. One night Saint Guillhem hid out to see what was going on and found that the Devil was destroying the monks’ work.
The Saint scolded the Devil for doing this and the Devil said, “I care nothing for the mongrels who are trying to do God’s work here. The Saint said, “I’ll make a deal with you, let my monks do their work undisturbed and I’ll grant you anything you ask.” The Devil responded, “Will you? If so, I’ll build a bridge that no one can destroy. You, in return, must grant me the soul of the first of these mongrels who cross the bridge.” The Saint agreed.
Three days later the Devil’s Bridge was complete. He call the Saint to see it and said, “Nothing and no one can destroy this bridge. Now, you keep your part of the bargain.” With that the Saint took a bone out of his robe and called his dog to his side. He threw the bone across the bridge and the dog happily went after it, crossing to the other side. The Devil saw this and was furious. “You tricked me.” Then he himself tried with all his might to destroy the bridge that he himself made. The dog, of course, was safe. The Devil was defeated. The bridge still stands.
At least that’s the story.
In fact is the experts say is that this bridge was build around 1020. I have, however, seen another, and much smaller bridge, buil1 in the first century by the Romans. This story was, however, created by the early Pilgrims to give them courage and hope for this difficult journey. They had minds and a culture that participated easily in mysticism.
Saints and Sacred Spaces
In the very beginning of what became The Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela those making the pilgrimage would begin, in the case of the route we will be taking, by attending a Eucharist Service in the Cathedral of Saint Trophime in Arles. That is what we did on Friday morning. This was the “official” beginning of our Pilgrimage. Peter Sills led the service assisted by the Rev. Lynne Boughton. Lynne teaches at Cambridge and is an authority in interpreting the iconography of medieval churches. We have travelled with her before and she is exceptionally knowledgeable. After the liturgy this morning we are stood in front of the Cathedral while Lynne explained the complex and detailed iconography we were looking at. Think about it! This was art work in stone done almost eight hundred and fifty years ago.
Cathedral Completed in 1178
The construction of this cathedral was completed is 1178 and it took nearly a hundred years to build. I never enter one of these structures without a sense of awe. “Where did this come from? Whose creation is this?” Is is not just the massive architectural and building undertaking something like this is but also the art and knowledge of the subject matter that is involved. The entire biblical story, at least as it was understood then, is contained in the intricate carvings made into the stones used to construct the edifice of this building. Workman devoted their life energies to a buildings like this knowing, many of them, that they would not live to see the work completed. Lynne said that the people who saw the finished product, though most of them could not read, readily understood what they were looking at. I’m confident that most of the highly educated people who look at the front of these cathedrals now could tell you very little about what they are actually seeing.
We all actually gathered for a welcome reception and dinner at a restaurant nearby to the hotel where we are staying in Arles. There are twenty-nine people on this Pilgrimage. Many of them we have travelled with before.
After spending most of the day exploring Arles, we drove a short distance to St. Giles-du-Gard to see the burial site of St. Giles. He was a most beloved church leader much like St. Nicholas. He lived in the 8th century and this place is the fourth most highly visited Pilgrimage destinations during Mideval times.
Pilgrim Statue in Church of St. Giles
I confess that I knew and know little of St. Giles. I did not grow up in a religious tradition that spoke about, much less honored, the Saints. On adventures like this and hearing Peter speak of St. Giles I see that I have missed something important.
We had evening prayer in the crypt of this church. the crypt is huge and Peter said that over the centuries it has accommodated hundreds of thousands of Pilgrims.
After this we returned to Arles for dinner and to prepare to depart Arles in the morning for another segment of this Pilgrimage.
A personal note: It is hot here. Very hot. I know Houston is also hot but Houston is also air conditioned. That is not true for this part of the world. They are not prepared for consistently high temperatures.
The Route We Will Be Traveling
The route we are taking is Via Tolosana
A number of years ago we found ourselves in Arles, France quite by accident. We were on a driving trip from Lisbon, Portugal to Nice, France with no real plans of where we might stop and visit in between. When we couldn’t find accommodations in one place where we wanted to go, the friend we were going to visit in Nice recommended Arles. What a delightful discovery. This is the ancient Roman city where Van Gogh lived and painted. We also stopped at Lourdes, the place made famous by a Bernadette Soubrious and now a much visited site by people seeking miraculous cures by bathing in the spring waters here.
Both Arles and Lourdes are places we will be visiting on this pilgrimage but not as tourists.
Peter Sills, the leader of this pilgrimage says, “There is a difference in the way that pilgrims and tourist travel. Tourism tends to put the desires and needs of the tourist first; the traveler is the subject of the journey, the places and people on the way the object. The pilgrim seeks to reverse this, allowing the places and people that are encountered to be the subject, and he or she comes to learn from them. A pilgrimage also differs from tourism in the way the journey is made. Pilgrims are companions on the way; that is, they share bread together.” The word “companion” is from the Latin words “com” and “panis” meaning “with bread.”
In the ninth century a burial ground was discovered in a field in Spain and it came to be believed that this was where the bones of St. James were buried. (More about him in a later blog.) Soon kings and bishops recognized the importance of having the shrine of St. James visited and in modern times “walking the Camiño” has become so popular that Santiago de Compostela has become the third most popular Christian pilgrimage destination. Rome and Jerusalem are the top two. Though there are several established routes for this pilgrimage, the one we are following has Arles as a starting point. One could travel this route either to Rome or to Santiago. The route we will be traveling is called the Via Tolosana. The name comes from one of the cities to which we will be traveling, Toulouse, Fance’s fourth largest city.
The Pilgrimage Begins
People have likely made pilgrimages as part of their religious seeking or devotion since the beginning of homo sapiens. Making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem was an important part of Jewish life, especially on Passover - as well as other High Holy days. Some have speculated that the early Christian movement appropriated the use of the labyrinth as a substitute for those who were unable to travel or in times when travel was unsafe.
The Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St. James, was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the late Middle Ages.
We, Sherry and I, have travelled parts of two of the Camino routes - from Le Mont-Saint-Michel to Bordeaux and from Lyon, France (from which the first Pilgrimage was made) all the way to Santiago, Spain.
This time we will travel, with Peter Sills - someone well known to most St. Paul’s folks - from Arles, France all the way to Santiago, Spain and then on to what is called “the end of the world.” I will post an image of the map our route will follow this time in my next blog - which I will write on the long plane ride from Houston to Arles - with multiple stops.
Some of you may remember that a couple of years ago, we took a pilgrimage trip with Peter, the St. Nicholas Pilgrimage. That was in Italy. The trip we are taking this year will be Peter’s 25th pilgrimage to lead and his last one.
What I am most looking forward to experiencing and sharing with you are the sacred spaces we will be visiting. We will have opportunities to celebrate some sort of liturgy up to three times a day. We will be in Santiago for Pilgrim Sunday at the end of July.
I will miss being at St. Paul’s at the beginning of Dr. Jeff McDonald’s ministry.
I hope you will join us on this pilgrimage.
Much love,
Bill Kerley