[Gocamino] Convicted ones on the Camino

Sat Jun 9 06:34:25 PDT 2007

Hola Rosina --

I've been a silent aficionada of the Gocamino missives, yours as well as 
others, for several months, having "discovered" or been led to it via the 
association of American pilgrims on the Camino.  Our family has been 
intimately intertwined with two in Madrid for over 40 years, we've even 
walked the Camino together. As I type, my husband is between Villar de 
Mazarife and Astorga, making his first Camino at the age of 62.  Other than 
having both pair of his quick dry underpants stolen, (in the abergues in 
Roncesvalles and maybe Hortanas), an experience I don't think I've seen 
mentioned, I believe he's having the "time of his life".  On 20 June, I'll 
meet him in Ribadiso, where the ashes of my godson (Alvaro Saez de Montagut 
Revenga, 1980-1997) were spread  -- that date will mark the 10th anniversary 
of his death.

My reasons for jumping in at this point are two-fold:
1.  Please do include me with any Sevilla information.  We have a home in 
Fuengirola, will be in Carmona the first week in July, and I first 
experienced Holy Week and La Macarena in Sevilla in 1966.
2.  My husband has heard many warnings about the ascent to O'Cebreiro.  He 
wants to take the "spiritual", more rugged ruta, but is wondering what might 
be so dangerous.  He's in excellent condition.  He started in St. Jean on 18 
May and doesn't even have a hint of a blister, and he's only carrying 15 
pounds.

The question in all of this:  Does anyone have any opinions, tips, 
advertencias, encouragements, regarding Villafranca upward?  I'd love to 
able to pass them on to him in the next day or so.  I'll soon be leaving DC 
for Malaga and won't have access to this email address as readily as I do 
now.

I'm so hoping the botafumeiro will be up and swinging by Sunday the 24th --  
there's nothing quite like it!  I first saw it in 1966 and again in 1968 on 
el dia de Santiago -- now that was a celebration (including the 
no-holds-barred fireworks) I'll never forget.

Thanks to all of you for your fascinating input.  You make this a living 
camino as well!

Ciao -- Cherie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <blaroli at aol.com>
To: <GOCAMINO at oakapple.net>; <saintjames at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 11:51 PM
Subject: [Gocamino] Convicted ones on the Camino

> Hello you all,
> A week ago the Correo Gallego contained an article about 18 prisoners from 
> the Torredondo penitentiary in Segovia. They had arrived in Santiago on 
> May 31st. after walking the Camino accompanied by volunteers from the 
> "Father Garralda Open Horizons Foundation" and by special guard/social 
> workers from the penitentiary.
> The volunteers are young people who go to prisons and jails in Spain, 
> several times a week, to give whatever practical information and humane 
> support may help convicts rejoin society after paying for their punishable 
> transgressions
>
> The Open Horizons Association's vice president, Maria Matos, explained to 
> the Correo reporters that the Association works closely with the General 
> Directorship of Prisons in Spain.
>
> Pursuant to their efforts, the 18 Segovia prisoners began the Santiago 
> pilgrimage in Samos where they were attended by the Mercedario (?) monks. 
> Walking about 25 kilometers a day they were just pilgrims... conviving 
> with others, sleeping outdoors, talking, or being silent, and helping 
> other pilgrims in need. In other words.....being pilgrims. Maria Matos 
> said that "they have never lost their dignity or humanity, and deserve an 
> opportunity to demonstrate their rehabilitation"
> (You can read the entire article on the June 1st., edition of the Correo.)
>
> Not entirely coincidentally, (Spain has been following this practice with 
> its first-time offenders for some years), the last edition of the magazine 
> Compostela contains the following testimonial, which was read aloud at the 
> Pilgrims' Mass by one of the nine female pilgrims from the Avila 
> penitentiary who had just completed the pilgrimage:
> "Apostle Santiago, we are nine (female) prisoners from the Avila 
> Penitentiary that have walked from Sarria and would like to make the 
> following plea in the name of all who are imprisoned anywhere in the 
> world: May the Lord give us strength and enlightment to complete our 
> sentence, and may we have the support of society to commence a new Camino 
> of our lives. Let us pray".
>
> (Amen! Amen! Amen!}
>
> When I was in Seville for Holy Week last April I read in the newspapers 
> that prisoners were let out to watch the processions from their 
> neighborhoods, and that a fair number of them to even marched in them. 
> Since those in the processions must wear their confraternity habit which 
> includes an all-covering hood (-infamously adapted by the Ku Klux Kan to 
> hide nefarious deeds, its original purpose was to comply with the Gospel's 
> admonition that during devotions the "left hand should not know what the 
> right one is doing".... in other words, total anonymity-). Well, being 
> that tens and tens of thousands converge in Seville from all over the 
> world in Holy Week and that the consequential "Bulla", (anything goes.... 
> almost), would be an ideal setting for absconding I should have been 
> flabbergasted to learn that every single one of the temporarily released 
> prisoners reported back to prison right on time.
> But then.... I've known for a while that extraordinary, indeed mind 
> boggling, happenings and events are everyday life in Spain.
>
> By the way, a few members of this list have asked information about Holy 
> Week in Seville; being that the place is, to me, like catnip to a feline 
> and that, work wise, my office is in slow-time, I would like to reply. 
> Because the answers may not be strictly related to the Camino, perhaps it 
> is best to send them only to those of you who are interested in the 
> subject. Please let me know.
>
> Hugs!
>
> Rosina
>
>
> --
>
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