[Gocamino] Santiago Cathedral plans

[blaroli at aol.com]

Hello,

 

The Santiago Archbishop, Msgr. Barrios, meeting with Xunta and Archconfraternity representatives last week announced the plans made in anticipation of the next Xacobean Holy Year:.

 

To ease the pressure on the Cathedral a temporary altar will be erected in Plaza Quintana and Masses will be held there, as well as in the Cathedral, several times a day.

 

(Personal note:  When I was in Santiago during the last Holy Year, 2004, the 5-abreast line of pilgrims waiting to go through the Puerta Santa, which is in Quintana, snaked through the entire Plaza and sometimes spilled over all the way down Vilar street.  The average wait was a couple of hours…. at least…. in sun and rain!  How Masses will be held in that area is beyond me….. after all, the Puerta Santa cannot be moved).

 

The Portico de Gloria will definitely be out-of-bonds-to-human-touch….. and something will have to be decided about those who wish to go up to “hug the Apostle” and down to pray in the crypt. (It is probable that access to such places may have to be restricted to those who have earned a Compostela).

 

There will be several Pilgrim Masses’  during the day, both inside and outside the Cathedral…. And there will be confessors, in many languages, available at all times in both places. 

 

The most ambitious plan of all is the refurbishing of the main altar in a manner “splendorous” and twenty-first centurish (!).

 

Also, the illumination of the church will be increased for the pilgrims’ vigils that commence at nine p.m.

 

Volunteers at all levels are being sought through the Confraternities/

 

The work to be done is expected to be accomplished through voluntary contributions and volunteer labor.

 

Hugs!

 

Rosina 

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