The end of the Camino changes in Santiago
Thousands of pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela in the coming weeks will encounter an unusual image. The Cathedral faces several actions inside that directly affect two of the most anticipated moments for those who finish the Camino: the Pilgrim's Mass and the flight of the Botafumeiro.
Starting on Friday, October 16, three of the four Pilgrim's Masses will temporarily leave the main altar of the Cathedral and will be celebrated in the nearby church of San Agustín. The change will affect the celebrations at 9:30, 12:00 and 19:30 and will remain in place until further notice.
The early mass will remain in the Cathedral
Not all celebrations will leave the temple. The 7:30 a.m. mass will continue to be celebrated inside the Cathedral of Santiago, although it will be moved to the Communion chapel.
The measure responds to the planned intervention and remodeling in the area of the main chapel. The works will fundamentally affect the wooden platform on which the altar table, the ambo and the seat are located, which forces worship at the main altar to be temporarily interrupted.
For pilgrims who plan to arrive in Compostela from October 16, it will therefore be important to check the venue before heading to the traditional Pilgrim's Mass.
Saint Augustine will welcome pilgrims
The church of San Agustín is very close to the Cathedral and the Food Market, so travel from the area around Plaza del Obradoiro can be done on foot in a few minutes.
The schedules are maintained. What changes is the venue.
The Cathedral, for its part, will continue to be open to visitors as normal between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Pilgrims will be able to continue entering the temple and visiting its main spaces even if the main altar celebrations have been temporarily moved.
The Botafumeiro doesn't fly either
Added to this modification is another circumstance that especially affects those who arrive in Santiago hoping to see one of the great symbols of the Camino.
The Botafumeiro remains temporarily out of service.
The enormous censer is not stopped due to a breakdown of its own. The restoration works on the dome and the position of the scaffolding affect the mechanism from which it hangs, making its operation currently impossible.
At the moment, an official date for his return has not been communicated.
This means that pilgrims currently arriving in Santiago should not organize their visit hoping to witness the flight of the Botafumeiro, even if it coincides with one of the solemnities in which it would usually be scheduled.
A different arrival to Santiago
The Pilgrim's Mass and the Botafumeiro are part of the imagination of thousands of people who walk the Camino de Santiago every year.
Many pilgrims prepare their trip for months and visualize entering Compostela as the culminating moment of an experience that may have begun hundreds of kilometers ago. Arriving at the Obradoiro, entering the Cathedral and participating in the mass is for many one of the most emotional moments of the entire pilgrimage.
During the next few weeks that experience will be different, although the Cathedral will continue to receive pilgrims and visitors.
The temporary transfer of the masses and the stoppage of the Botafumeiro are a consequence of works that provisionally modify the usual functioning of the temple.
Therefore, those who are currently walking the Camino or plan to arrive in Santiago soon should take these changes into account before organizing their last hours in Compostela.
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