2002 Pilgrims

[Rosina Lila]

Hello you all,
       The Santiago Archdiocese has published in its magazine, "Compostela",
classifications and numbers regarding pilgrims who received the Compostela in
2002. The published data are,  somehow,  more condensed than the monthly
statistics. For ease of reference I am providing, (in parentheses),
comparative numbers for previous years in some of the classifications.

       Total pilgrims "compostelados" in 2002:  68,952; (61,418 in 2001,
55,004 in 2000,  154,613 in 1999, a Jacobean Holy Year)
       Slightyly over 60%  of the pilgrims were male and the rest female.
       More than 81% of the pilgrims walked and about 18 1/2% rode bicycles;
128 rode horses and two went by wheelchair.
       About 40.3% of the pilgrims were under thirty years of age; 51.2% were
between the ages of 30 and 60 and more than 8% were over 60 years old,
reportedly 5,772  (4,476 in 2201; 3,368 in 2000 and 6,691 in 1999)  ***[this
appearsto b e the age category whose proportionate numbers keep increasing].
       The French Way, which includes the "Aragonese" approach from Somport
and through Jaca,continues to be the most popular by far; it was used by
almost 89% of the pilgrims; but 1,397 pilgrims went through the -much longer-
Silver Way;  2,887 walked the North Way; 3,278 the Portuguese Way and 181 the
English way.
       63,980 of the pilgrims, or almost 93% expressed a religious motive for
making the pilgrimage, while 4,972 averred cultural reasons only.
       61.6% of the pilgrims were from Spain itself; about 31% from other
European countries and the rest from America, Oceania, Asia and Africa.
       Of the 4,305 American pilgrims, 2,739 were from North America, that is
Canada the U.S.A. and Mexico (2,711 in 2001; 2,403 in 2000; 3,995 in 1999),
and 1,566 from other American countries.
       In addition to the 4,668 regularly scheduled Masses at the Santiago
Cathedral, 2,143 Masses were celebrated by priests from 63 countries. The
lasgest number of foreign priests, 451, came from Italy; 208 were from
Germany,   158 from the United States;  119 from Poland; 116 from France and
the rest from various countries -43 from Brasil, 28 from Mexico, 19 from
Canada-  including 13 from India, 15 from Japan, 2 from Israel and 1 from a
country (new to me) called Zagreb.
       In 2002 the Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos -the 5-star parador nearly
abutting the Cathedral, which somewhat continuing the tradition established
by Queen Isabel may provide free meals daily to up to 10
Compostela-presenting pilgrims- served 1,442 breakfasts, 1,324 lunches and
2,294 dinners to pilgrims free of charge.

Other important information provided in the magazin e pertains to the
upcoming Jacobean Holy Year of 2004. This year may be of particuloar interest
to those of us on our sixth decade since the following Holy Years will not be
until 2010 and then 2021, which may put a pilgrimage beyond the physical
capabilities of many of us.
In preparation for the Holy Year celebrations next week there will be a
meeting next October of the Santiago Confraternities from all over the world.
 While the U.S. does not have a Confraternity at the moment, it is very
possibvle that at least one will have been incorporated by that time.
Societies of  Friends of Santiago will also meet. The purpose of the reunions
will be twofold:  to reflect on the theological revaluation of the meaning of
the Santiago pilgrimage itself and to reemphasize the fact that the
pilgrimage has not only been very valuable in the definition of Europe in the
past, but it may continue to do so in the future.

If there is anything abput which you would like more detailed information,
please send me a message directly.

Best regards,
Rosina