Starting on October 16, three of the four Pilgrim's Masses will temporarily leave the main altar of the Cathedral of Santiago and will be moved to the church of San Agustín due to the planned works in the main chapel. The Cathedral will remain open as normal for visits.
In the coming weeks, the Cathedral of Santiago will face an important change that will directly affect pilgrims arriving in Compostela.
From the Friday October 16, the Pilgrim Masses of the 9:30, 12:00 and 19:30 will be celebrated in the church of Saint Augustine, located a few minutes walk from the Cathedral, next to the Food Market. Santiago Diary
The transfer will be temporary and will continue until further notice.
The 7:30 mass will continue in the Cathedral
Not all celebrations will leave the temple.
The first Pilgrim Mass of the day, that of 7:30 a.m., will continue to be celebrated inside the Cathedral, although it will change location and move to the communion chapel. Santiago Diary
The reason is that the planned works will force worship at the main altar to be temporarily interrupted.
Works in the main chapel
The intervention will mainly affect the current wooden platform located in the main chapel, on which the altar table, the ambo and the seat are located. Santiago Diary
At the moment it has not been announced how long the work will last or when the Pilgrim's Masses will return to their usual location.
The Cathedral will remain open
The change will not mean the closure of the Cathedral.
Tourist and cultural visits will be able to continue normally and the temple will maintain its usual opening hours, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.. Santiago Diary
For pilgrims arriving in Santiago during this period, the main change will therefore be liturgical: three of the most common celebrations will be temporarily moved to San Agustín.
San Agustín, new meeting point
St. Augustine's Church It will thus assume a good part of the liturgical reception of pilgrims while the works last.
Its location, very close to the Cathedral, will facilitate the movement of those who want to attend the Pilgrim's Mass without leaving the historic center.
The measure will allow the celebrations to be maintained while work continues in one of the most important spaces of the Compostela basilica.
The Cathedral is preparing for 2027
The intervention also comes in full preparation of the Compostela Holy Year 2027, which will officially begin on December 31 with the opening of the Holy Door. Santiago Diary
During the last few months the Cathedral has carried out different conservation and restoration actions.
At the beginning of 2026, cleaning work was carried out on the silver grille, the Apostle's dressing room and the baroque canopy of Domingo de Andrade. Santiago Diary
The October works have, however, a much more visible consequence for pilgrims because they directly affect the place where the main masses are celebrated.
Important information for those arriving in Santiago
Pilgrims arriving in Compostela from October 16 must take into account the new times and locations:
7:30 h: Cathedral, Communion chapel.
9:30 h: Church of San Agustín.
12:00 h: Church of San Agustín.
19:30 h: Church of San Agustín.
The change will be temporary.
Until the work is completed, San Agustín will become one of the main religious reception points for those who finish their Camino in Santiago.
A practical modification that should be known before arriving in Compostela.
