Whenever St James’s day (25th July) falls on a Sunday, the cathedral declares a Saint James Holy Year (aka Xacobeo).
In these years, like the current 2010, the Catholics can obtain the bull or Jubilee indulgence. To accomplish this, they should visit the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia where, according to the tradition, they venerate the relics of St. James the Greater, say a prayer, receive penance and make the communion.
This fact joint to a lot of festivities that take place and the popularity of the Way of Santiago (several pilgrims’ routes leading to the grave of James the Apostle), centers even more the visitors’ attention.
The Saint James Holy Year is already in the air and we can witness that everywhere, especially in the most visited place from Galicia: the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, where special tourist concentrations crowd the place in certain days of the year.
Forecasts, in spite of the crisis, agree on the idea in which this Holy Year more than eight million people will visit Galicia, in addition to 200.000 pilgrims. Therefore, the surveillance is going to increase by means of several safety guards and national police patrol cars.
The surveillance reinforcement will also do overtime since the Cathedral has programmed up to four daily pilgrimage masses in the main altar (10.00, 12.00, 18.00 and 19.30 hours).
Also on Sundays and holidays, another homily will be added at 13.15 hours.
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela will set the schedule for the tourist visits: from 07.30 to 9.15 hours, and then from 14.00 to 16.30 hours. Also, the tourist has to be provided with personal guides in order to respect the silence. The temple will remain opened to the public from 07.00 to 21 hours.
Picture by bluecatproject
February 20th, 2010 at 7:35 am
[...] or sports or even as a recreational or tourist experience. And we should not forget that the Saint James Year is already in the air. No matter the reason, in order to cover this route you will need a previous [...]