[Gocamino] 2006 pilgrims celebrants, occupations, testimonials

[blaroli at aol.com]

Two thousand one hundred and twenty three foreign priest celebrated Mass at the Santiago Cathedral in 2006:

>From Europe: 1,622 (the largest numbers being 817 from Italy, 199 from Germany, 146 from Poland and 116 from France)

>From America: 334 (the largest numbers being 95 from the U.S.A., 83 from Brasil, 33 from Argentina,  32 from Mexico, 21 from Canada, 17 from Colombia and 10 from Chile).

>From Asia: 93 (including 35 from India (!!!!) and 31 from the Philippines)

>From Africa: 74 (including 19 from South Africa and 15 from Nigeria)

>From Oceania:  7

 

There were 18 different professions/occupations listed by the 2006 pilgrims (which I can post, if you are interested).  Among them, there were 3 “Oikoten” which are young Belgian criminal offenders sent to the Camino, and escorted, by the Belgian Society for the Social re-integration of delinquent adolescents.  In this respect it should be noted that about 200 inmates from several prisons in Spain received a time-release from incarceration in 2006 to make the Santiago pilgrimage, after which they returned to prison to complete their sentences.  The available information discloses that the rate of recidivism among those Spanish inmates who walked the Camino has been zero since such releases began about seven years ago.

At present, a group of Camino friends is forming a special Association in Spain with the exclusive purpose of encouraging such releases and helping the prison authorities to carry them out.

 

The data maintained electronically by the Pilgrims’ Office does not record the hometowns of pilgrims…. which I guess could be done since we do provide our home addresses.  I will be going to Santiago for a special function over the Thanksgiving weekend; while there, I’ll ask whether there is a way to find out how many pilgrims come from one’s hometown….. It would be nice to know, and, perhaps, get in touch. 

 

Lastly, of the hundreds and hundreds of pilgrims’ testimonials written at the Pilgrims’ Office in 2006, the following are, to me,  particularly moving:

 

“The promise I made, that if one day you came into this life to enrich my life, has been kept. I love you with all my heart, little daughter.  Your father who carries you in his heart.”    M.M.N. from Malaga. November 16, 2006

 

“To the memory of my father. I walked the Camino in your name since you couldn’t do it, overwhelmed as you were bringing up your children and protecting and loving them and your wife. I have walked the Camino in your place.  Thank you for your example.”  P. November 18, 2006

 

“I went to the Camino to get away from myself, and I found me!  Thank you Apostle Santiago, thank you fellow pilgrims”. J.W. from UK. December, 2006

 

Regards,

 

Rosina

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