September, 2002, pilgrims

[Yoong Lee]

Hello, everyone!

It is amazing that a quasi-national and biggest broadcasting station
headquartered in Tokyo named NHK broadcasted a program featuring the
Santiago Pilgrimage last Sunday here in Japan. NHK produced the original
program by dispatching a famous actress to Spain. She worked as a narrator
in the program. That is wonderful, indeed. The program has shown the
multi-aspects of beautiful nature of Spain.

Considering the fact that there are less than 1 percent Christians here in
Japan, it could be a conspiracy of the Vatican to brainwash the Japanese.
Just kidding.

Cheers,

Yoong Lee

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Daniel De Kay
  To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
  Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 10:16 AM
  Subject: Re: September, 2002, pilgrims


  gracias, amiga...

   Rosina Lila <BlaroliaAOL.COM> wrote:

    Hello you all,
    During last September 8,822 pilgrims received the Compostela in Santiago
by
    virtue of walking, or horseback riding, the last 100 kms. or bicycling
the
    last 200 kms up to the Santiago Cathedral; the numbers represent a 15%
    increase over the 7,641 pilgrims who did so in September of 2001.
    969 of the pilgrims were over 60 years of age, 4,779 were between 30 and
60
    years old and 3,074 were under 30 years of age.
    8,094 of the pilgrims professed a religious, or religious-cultural,
reason
    for doing the pilgrimage; 728 declared only a cultural motive.
    The majority of the pilgrims, 4,936, were from Spain itself; the rest,
3,886,
    hailed from other countries: 967 from Germany, 655 from France, 467 from
    Brazil, 275 from Italy, 228 from the USA, 207 from Belgium, 197 from the
    United Kingdom, 194 from Austria, 177 from Canada, 133 from Mexico, and
therest from various countries totaling 51 in all.
    The largest number of pilgrims, 1,047, began the pilgrimage in Sarria;
1,041
    started out in SJPP, 1,015 in Roncesvalles, 761 in Leon, 696 in
Ponferrada,
    613 in Cebreiro (including my soul-friends from Australia), 528 in
Astorga
    (they purchased nothing there but souvenirs from the famed chocolate
    museum), and the rest began their pilgrimage at various numerous sites
not
    only in Spain, but in Portugal and other countries as well.
    The French Way (Camino Frances) was followed by 8,124 of the pilgrims;
275
    walked the Portuguese way; the Northern way was followed by 224
pilgrims; 181
    followed the Silver Way from Andalucia and 18 kept to the English Way.

    *****Personal note: if the numbers don't add up, blame it on the "Correo
de
    Galicia" newspaper. The remarks in parenthesis are wholly mine. The
    Australian pilgrims that started out at O Cebreiro, and, back home, Bob
    Spender, will understan! d. I just couldn't resist the personal
indulgence.
    .... High time for me to go back to the Camino, methinks.
    Again, a caveat: those pilgrims who did qualify for the Compostela do
not, in
    the leastest least, represent the number of all Santiago pilgrims. To
    paraphrase the Gospel ("many are called, few are chosen"), many walkers,
    horseback riders, bicyclists, try, but few make it, or care to.
    Warm regards to all.
    Rosina
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