[Gocamino] Holy Xacobean Year. St. James statue

[blaroli@aol.com]

Hello you all,
The next Xacobean Year will be 2010 (which will also be the year of the next World Cup) and then there will not be another one for eleven years, that is, until the year 2021.  Some of us may not be around by then, or may not be in condition to go; but 2010 is only four years away and I, for one, am determined to go since the most intensely joyous times that I have had in my long life were, unforgettably, the opening and the closing of the Holy Door in 2004 and the ceremonies throughout.
Whenever I feel tired, sick, dejected or depressed by poor health or, perhaps more so, by the awful goings on in the world about which I feel so useless and helpless, I remember December 31, 2003 and December 31, 2004 in Santiago and my heart leaps forth with the recognition that somehow, somewhere, there is a lot of love in us humans, and then I am invigorated and my spirit smiles.
 
I will be leaving for the Camino in a couple of weeks, but, first, I will go to Valencia to pay a visit to what is believed to be the Holy Grail. A member of this list was kind enough to lend me a stunning book about the Grail ("St. Laurence & the Holy Grail", by Janice Bennett, ISBN 0-9705682-1-5). The book is chockfull of historical data and its descriptions have made a trip to Valencia irresistible.  As some of you know, the new Pope was in Valencia recently and celebrated Mass using the Grail, as the much-missed late Pope John Paul II had done. When using the Valencia Cup both Popes said, during the Eucharist, "This Cup", instead of the usual "the Cup". (Buy the way, the Cathedral of Valencia, which houses the Grail, was burned by the Republicans in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War; the saga of the risks taken by those who facing death concealed the Grail is riveting. The Cathedral has been rebuilt since and it is, reportedly, a masterpiece of religious architecture.)
>From Valencia I'll go up to walk the Northern Camino.
 
Now,... some weeks ago Kat Gower mentioned a NY priest who is looking for a statue of Saint James for his parish....(KAT, where are you?), if someone here knows how to get in touch with the priest I'd like to do so before I leave to see about getting the statue.
 
As to other news:  it seems that Jesus Jato is in trouble again (he has been fined  in the recent past 64 times for taking backpacks up to O Cebreiro, among other things). Well, a few weeks ago his albergue "Ave Phoenix" was fined 4,000 Euros (about 5,500 Dlls) by the Villa Franca del Bierzo authorities for placing some bricks in front of the albergue without securing a permit from the municipality first.  Jesus would appreciate it if those of us who wish to help write to the powers that be in Villa Franca protesting the henious amount of the fine, which the albergue, of course, cannot possibly pay.  Messages may be sent to     www.villafrancadelbierzo.org . Once on the web page one goes to "BUZON DEL CIUDADANO" (citizens' mailbox) which has a place for leaving messages.
 
Big hug! 
 
Rosina   
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