[Gocamino] First Open Air Mass held in Quintana Square

[Sil]

EL CORREO GALLEGO reports:
Yesterday Santiago was the venue for a historic act that goes far beyond the
symbolic. Twenty centuries after initiation of preaching in Asia and Europe
there gathered in the Basilica Compostela relics of two apostles.
The St. James was accompanied by the incorrupt arm of St. Thomas, that the
faithful of the Italian region of Abruzzo , headed by their archbishop,
Monsignor Carlo Ghidelli , carried in procession from Saint Martin Pinario .

The event is part of the campaign to promote religious tourism in the region
of Abruzzo, which takes place in Compostela along all week. The relic of St
Thomas has been kept in the coastal town of Ortona from 1258.
The schedule of activities will continue Monday , a day that will pay
special attention to the promotion among the local media , and the signing
of a memorandum of understanding with the network of roads in Europe.
Also host a luncheon in which you can sample typical local products in
Abruzzi and Lentella Choir will perform .
The Holy ASilver Arm , in whose interior is preserved relic of the Apostle
Thomas, traveled from Italy to Compostela by special permission.
Together with the ecclesiastical authorities , the delegation was composed
of a large group of neighbors in Abruzzi , who attended the ceremony dressed
in historical costumes , pennons and religious symbols , which gave special
color to a rúas that up along the entire day, but especially in the morning,
were traversed by numerous pilgrimages whose members came not only from
Galicia but from all over Spain and from very different backgrounds and of
all ages .
So many expeditions were gathered in the city that for the first time this
year the square of A Quintana became an extension of the Cathedral, because
the capacity of the temple was clearly insufficient, as that many facilities
catering establishments in the historic area and its surroundings.
The Pilgrim's Mass presided over at noon in Compostela by Archbishop
Monsignor Julián Barrio, accompanied by Monsignor Ghidelli , was heard in a
place filled to overflowing, so that access point was closed from the Via
Sacra and the Immaculate square.
Because Italians were not the only pilgrims who arrived in the morning to
Compostela, as well attested to the banners could be seen in the vicinity of
the Basilica, and picked the very distant origins of which came from each
group.
Like in the Cathedral , which is only accessible from Platerías , also
closed the entrances to A Quintana from the square in A Immaculate and the
Via Sacra , in order to regulate the attendance of visitors to attend to
religious celebrations.

Among the crowds that filled the historic yesterday , include the more than
five hundred persons in the expedition organized by Special Olympics
Galicia.   A pilgrimage was conducted in collaboration with Fademga and
FEAPS , which was supported by both the Xunta and the University and the
city of Santiago. In it, moreover, were also present about a hundred members
of the General Directorate of Volunteering and teaching institution
collaborated in the organization. In fact, until access to the square of A
Quintana had to be demonstrated, as all entries were checked by the security
forces to avoid the crowds can result in some kind of problem.

After the ceremony , which spoke from a lectern Mato located at the top of
the stairs to the plaza, the responsible regional advantage to announce that
the comprehensive action plan aimed at people with a problem of disability
is agreed at the end of this June with all sectors involved, from
professional bodies , to collaborate in their collective integration.


-- 
Sil
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