[Gocamino] [saintjames] Re: In Spain, Church Candles Go Digital

Thu Mar 1 11:40:37 PST 2012

For myself,  I'm comforted to hear that.  A corollary of the imagery of candles was (is)  their ascending smoke somehow paralleling the trajectory of prayers, or of departed souls.
Changes are inevitable, of course, and many are hugely beneficial and much to be welcomed, but somehow robotic expressions of spiritual emotions seem oxymoronic, at least to me. 
Young and future generations will sort things out, I'm sure.
In passing: the movie "The Way" is now available  through Netflix and Blockbuster both in DVD and Blu-Ray. Although I continue to feel that the new versions have been somewhat shortened and something is missing in them from the original film, the benefit of the new discs is that they contain a narration commentary, as the movie rolls along, with both director and star speaking freely about their experiences and feelings as the movie was being filmed.  While most narratives of this sort are rather tiresome, the one in "The Way" is endearing and surprising in many ways. Also, the shots of Muxia, and almost anywhere, in the Blu-Ray version are heart-tugging and positively breath-taking.
Hugs!
Rosina 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rebekah S <rebrites at yahoo.com>
To: saintjames <saintjames at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Mar 1, 2012 12:06 pm
Subject: [saintjames] Re: In Spain, Church Candles Go Digital

Interesting how the headline has exactly FOUR churches representing the reality in all of Spain! Tons of wax still going up in smoke every week out here in the pueblo...

> But if they ever replace the Botafumeiro "boleiros" with an automatic computer-directed program I will scream and holler..... even if from beyond the grave!
> Hugs!
> Rosina
> blaroli at ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Grant Spangler <GASpangler at ...>
> To: â€ GoCamino OakApple <gocamino at ...>; â€ Yahoo Saint James <saintjames at yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wed, Feb 29, 2012 3:53 pm
> Subject: [saintjames] In Spain, Church Candles Go Digital
> 
> 
> 
> rom TIME Magazine
> In Spain, Church Candles Go Digital 
> y Lisa Abend
> Every week, Marta HernÃ¡ndez walks to Madrid's San Andres church and lights a 
> andle for St. Isidro. Most of the time, the 75-year-old prays for the health of 
> er children and grandchildren. Every now and then, though, she acts as proxy 
> or her old friend Maria Teresa, who no longer lives in the neighborhood and 
> isses her patron saint. "She can't come here to light a candle to St. Isidro, 
> o I do it for her," says HernÃ¡ndez. But if David DoÃ±a and Marcos RodrÃguez have 
> heir way, Maria Teresa may soon be able to light that candle herself - from the 
> omfort of her own home.
> On April 26, DoÃ±a and RodrÃguez unveiled a digital candelabra in the cathedral 
> f Santiago de Compostela. The device, which consists of a computer screen 
> ounted on a metal stand decorated with the Cross of St. James, allows the 
> aithful to remotely light a virtual candle to a favorite saint through the 
> ebsite MiVela.com (translation: MyCandle). Simply click on the church and icon 
> ou want, type in your credit card or PayPal information - each candle costs 
> bout $2 - and in a dark corner of a faraway church, an onscreen candle 
> lights." The candles can also be lit via text message.
> RodrÃguez, an engineer, got the idea for the digital devotion when he came 
> cross an old candelabra in his father's metal shop and was struck by its 
> eauty. Working with DoÃ±a, an information technologist, he designed a prototype 
> nd then set about trying to convince parish priests to let them install the 
> igital candelabras in their sanctuaries. "It wasn't that hard, actually," says 
> oÃ±a. "About 99% of the priests we spoke to were enthusiastic about it."
> So far, the candelabra has been installed in seven churches in Spain, including 
> he cathedral of Santiago, the site of an important pilgrimage that draws more 
> han 100,000 faithful to the town on the northwestern coast of Spain every year. 
> ut its inventors have bigger plans. They are in talks with authorities at 
> ourdes, a basilica in southern France that is renowned for the healing powers 
> f its water, and Guadalupe in Mexico City, the site of a famed vision of the 
> irgin Mary. "With Guadalupe, there are many immigrants [in Spain] who would 
> ant to light a candle for their saint back home," says DoÃ±a. "And so many 
> eople who want to go to Lourdes, but precisely because of health problems, 
> an't get there."
> That accessibility, as well as the potential financial gain, has made the 
> igital candelabra attractive to church authorities. According to JosÃ© MarÃa 
> Ãaz, deacon at Santiago, the money the faithful pay to light a candle to St. 
> ames is the cathedral's principal source of income, yet it's hardly enough to 
> eet expenses. "Other cathedrals charge admission, but we don't want to do 
> hat," DÃaz said in an interview with El PaÃs. "So this seemed interesting."
> Of course, any income depends on people using the service. It was only a couple 
> f years ago when most churches in Spain switched from wax candles to electric 
> nes, and that change met with resistance. But early indications suggest that 
> his latest incarnation, which does not replace the electric candelabra but 
> ather stands next to it, may get a warmer welcome. Two days after its debut, 
> he digital candelabra for the icon of St. James at the Santiago cathedral had 
> lready received 388 petitions.
> Religious practice has declined precipitously in Spain in the past few decades 
> nearly half of all Spaniards say they never attend Mass), but DoÃ±a isn't 
> orried that his new invention will encourage even more people to stay away from 
> hurch. "If anything, it's the opposite," he says. "Internet and text messaging, 
> hese are the languages that the new generation understands. We've created a way 
> or them to be interactive with God."
> But Marta HernÃ¡ndez says she prefers the old way. "The whole point is to come 
> isit the saint," she says. "Besides, I don't know how to use a computer."
> Buen Camino, 
> 
> 
> rant
> 
> ttp://www.ElCaminoSantiago.com
> esources for the Pilgrimage Road to Santiago 
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