The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

Who is “Santiago”?

The name Santiago or Donejakue is an etymological derivation of the Latin name Iacobus (From San-Iago, it would turn out to be san-tiago, Done-jakue). Also, the Latin term has its origin in the Hebrew name Jacob, Yeagob, which means “God will reward”.

Santiago is one of the twelve apostles, the one called “James the Greater” to distinguish him from another James, “from Alpheus”, who was a relative of Jesus. Santiago was born in Bethsaida, he was the brother of another disciple named John, to whom the fourth Gospel is attributed. They were fishermen, Peter’s companions in his work at Capernaum, to whom Jesus called to follow him: “Later he saw two other brothers: James, son of Zebedee, with his brother John; they were with their father in the boat preparing their nets. Jesus called them and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him” (Mt 4:21-22).

According to the Bible, both brothers were nicked named by Jesus as “The sons of Thunder”, given their passionate temperament. The Apostle James “the Greater” accompanied Jesus on many of his miracles and witnessed many of his apparitions after his resurrection.

James and John also accompanied Jesus in the most intimate and personal moments, such as the Transfiguration. And they are named second and third in the list of disciples, thus signifying their importance in the group of the Twelve: “These are the Twelve he appointed: Simon whom he named Peter; James son of Zebedee and his brother John, whom he named Boanerges, meaning sons of thunder” (Mk 3:16-17).

Santiago the Greater is the first apostle to die, martyred by Herod Agrippa in the year 44: “He had Santiago executed, brother of John” (Acts 12:2). It was never said where he was buried. It is said that Herod forbade him to be buried and the historical memory that said he had been taken to bury to the limits of the territory of the Roman Empire was maintained.

How did the “Camino de Santiago” originate?

In the IX century Visigothic Spain was defeated. The internal divisions of the Gothic Christian kings allowed Muslim troops to disembark in the peninsula in 711 and in a few years, they had already occupied the entire peninsula. They were defeated by Charlemagne at Poitiers in 732 and, slowed down by their advance through Europe, they remained in the Iberian Peninsula. Christians that had the chance, flee to the north, with the relics of the saints and take refuge in the mountains of Asturias, Cantabria and Galicia. In this context of difficulty and persecution, when a sign of faith was most needed, in the year 813, when the Christian king Alfonso II was in the capital in Oviedo, a discovery took place: a very old Christian cemetery of Roman origin. In the centre, a tomb surrounded by many other Overlapping Christian graves, as if for centuries, everyone wanted to bury themselves next to that first tomb, same as happened with the tombs of the apostles and martyrs. That cemetery had been abandoned for some strange reason and had been covered in dirt and hidden by vegetation for centuries.

The ancient tradition that held that Santiago had preached in Hispania (in Zaragoza the apparition to the Apostle of the Virgin in mortal flesh on a Pillar is venerated), was added to the one that maintained that his body was buried in the end of the Roman Empire (Finisterre). This made the discovery identified as the hidden tomb of Santiago Apostol and spread the news throughout Europe.

The pilgrimage to the “Campo de las Estrellas”, to Compostela, begins with the march that Alfonso II makes there from Oviedo. The first of a series of countless pilgrims who will come from Europe, and then from other parts of the world.

What is “Xacobeo”?

The “Xacobeo”, or “Jacobeo”, is the celebration of the Compostelan Jubilee Holy Year. The Church offers special spiritual graces to those who come on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It is not celebrated every year, only when the feast of Santiago, July 25, coincides with a Sunday. The first proclamation of the Jacobean Holy Year was announced by Pope Callixtus II in 1122, and was later confirmed by Alexander III in 1179 by the Papal Bull “Regis aeterni”, conferring perpetuity.

The Jubilee graces of the “Camino de Santiago”, the Plenary Indulgence, is reached when one goes on pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle to pray, after having received the sacrament of Reconciliation and receive Communion in the Eucharistic celebration.

What is “Compostela”?

It is a document granted by the ecclesiastical authorities that certifies having made a pilgrimage for religious reasons and completed at least one hundred kilometres on foot or on horseback, of any route of the Camino de Santiago (200km if done by bicycle).

Do not confuse reaching the Grace of the “Xacobeo” with the “Compostela”. The Jubilee grants the Plenary Indulgence to the pilgrim based on specific religious requirements. The Compostela accredits that he has gone to Santiago for religious reasons, by determined means and from makes distances.

You can actually reach the jubilee by travelling by different ways and it is possible to receive Compostela without reaching the jubilee.

What is the Plenary Indulgence?

The Holy Year of Compostela is the opportunity Roman Catholic Church gives us for obtaining the Plenary Indulgence, that is, the plain reconciliatory encounter with Christ.

With the Plenary Indulgence the repentant sinner receives a remission of the temporal punishment due for the sins already forgiven as regards the fault. In other words, to attain a New Life which restores the original holiness.

The Holy Door, which remains open during all Holy Year, represents the access to holiness the Plenary Indulgence gives us. The “Pórtico de la Gloria” demonstrates the reception of Christ, sitting on His throne, surrounded by the prophets, martyrs and all the saints. Saint Jacques is sitting, with his stick, open us the way, since is Santiago who led us to this place, to the door of the Heaven’s Glory.

We gain the “Jubileo”, that is, we gain the Plenary Indulgence when, after the pilgrimage to Santiago, we confess our sins, receive the Holy Communion, confess our faith and pray for the Church and the Pope.

“Caminos”, Ways.

From the beginning, the pilgrims used to start walking from their houses to the “House of Santiago” that is, to the cathedral. That is, there are as many “Caminos” as there are as many pilgrims. Nevertheless, the pilgrims, create the “Caminos” while walking. Those “Caminos” depended on different external factors such as the safety, the hospitals, the hostels, the bridges or the sanctuaries: sanctuaries were especially important for pilgrims as saint places to visit during the Way.

At time goes by, some of the routes were becoming more important; those routes are known the day of today as “Caminos de Santiago”.

We can mention the following ones:

“El Camino Francés”, French Way:

It takes this name because it was the most frequent way for the pilgrims who came from France. Nowadays is the most popular. In Spain it starts in Orreaga/Roncesvalles and it crosses Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, León, Astorga or Ponferrada. It arrives to Galicia in O Cebreiro.

“El Camino del Norte”, Northern Way:

The most ancient Camino which come from France. It runs along the cantabrian coast crossing Irun, Donostia/San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santander, Gijón or Avilés. It arrives to Galicia in Ribadeo.

“El Camino Primitivo”, Primitive Way:

The route followed by the King Alfonso II which starts in Oviedo, crossing Asturias and Lugo.

“El Camino Inglés”, English Way:

Whose origin is the pilgrims which came from the British Islands by sea, arriving in La Coruña or Ferrol.

“El Camino Portugués”, Portuguese Way:

Different routes in Portugal (coast or interior) which arrive to Galicia in Tui.

¡Ultreia!! ¡Buen Camino!

You can download the Blessing of the Pilgrim to Santiago in Bizkaia in these languages:

• ALEMÁN – SEGNUNG DER PILGER AUF DEM JAKOBSWEG DURCH DIE BISKAYA
• ÁRABE 
• BATUA- SANTIAGORA ERROMES DOANAREN BEDEINKAZIOA BIZKAIAN
• BIZKAIERA – SANTIAGORA ERROMES DOANAREN BEDEINKAZINOA BIZKAIAN
• CASTELLANO – BENDICIÓN DEL PEREGRINO A SANTIAGO EN BIZKAIA
• CATALÁN – BENEDICCIÓ DEL PELEGRÍ A SANT JAUME A BISCAIA
• CHECO – POŽEHNÁNÍ POUTNÍKA NA CEST? SVATÉHO JAKUBA V BISKAJSKU
• CROATA – BLAGOSLOV HODO?ASNIKA SV. JAKOVU U BISKAJU
• ESLOVENO – ROMARJEVA BLAGOSLOV NA JAKOBOVI POTI V BASKIJI
• FILIPINO – BASBAS NG MANLALAKBAY SA DAAN NI SANTIAGO SA BISCAY
• FRANCÉS – BÉNÉDICTION DU PÈLERIN SUR LE CHEMIN DE SAINT-JACQUES EN BISCAYE
• HOLANDÉS – ZEGEN VAN DE PELGRIM OP DE WEG VAN SINT-JACOB IN BISKAJE
• INGLÉS – BLESSING OF THE PILGRIM ON THE WAT OF SAINT JAMES IN BISCAY
• ITALIANO- BENEDIZIONE DEL PELLEGRINO A SAN GIACOMO IN BISCAGLIA
• LITUANO – ŠVENTOJO JOK?BO KELIO PER BISKAJ? PILIGRIMO PALAIMINIMAS
• LUXEMBURGUÉS – SEGE VUM PILGER UM JAKOBSWEE AN DER BISKAYA
• MACEDONIO
• POLACO – BLOGOSLAWIE?STWO PIELGRZYMA NA DRODZE ?W. JAKUBA W BIZKAII
• RUMANO – BINECUVÂNTAREA PELERINULUI PE CALEA SF. IACOB ÎN BISCAYA
• SUECO – PILGRIMENS VÄLSIGNELSE PÅ JAKOBSLEDEN I BISCAYA

Masses, contacts and pastoral activities for the pilgrim in Bizkaia.

• Official website of the Compostelan Holy Year
• Christian Reception of the Way:
• Prayer in the Way.  In the parish of Santa María de Lezama, on Fridays at 6:30 p.m., a prayer is organized in which they pray for the pilgrims who, as they pass, inscribe their names on the door of the parish. All of them are invited to participate in the prayer. .

Menú

Parish hours on the Way

1. Obispado de Bilbao
2. Misas.org
3. Horariodemisas.com

Parroquias en el Camino:

Markina:

• Parroquia
• Carmelitas

Zenarruza

• Monasterio de Zenarruza

Gernika:

• Parroquias de Gernika

Txoriherri:

• Santa María de Lezama
• Resto de parroquias

Bilbao:

• Catedral de Santiago:
• Santuario Virgen de Begoña:
• Inmaculado Corazón de María y San Antonio María Claret

Barakaldo:

• Parroquia San Vicente Mártir
• Resto de parroquias

Portugalete:

• Parroquias de Portugalete

Informaciones Diocesanas

• Oración del Camino. En la parroquia de Santa María de Lezama los viernes a las 18:30 horas se organiza una oración en la que se reza por los peregrinos que al pasar inscriben su nombre en la puerta de la parroquia, y se les invita a participar. https://misas.org/p/parroquia-de-santa-maria-de-lezama-lezama
• Oración-adoración diocesana del Camino de Santiago. Los terceros domingos de mes se celebra una oración-adoración diocesana en la catedral de Bilbao a las 19:00 horas en la que se invita a participar a todo peregrino que se encamina a Santiago.

Alkarren Barri. Artículos sobre el Camino de Santiago en Bizkaia

• Entrevista al delegado diocesano de Bilbao del Camino de Santiago y Peregrinaciones. Alkarren Barri, febrero 2021: 
• La revista diocesana Alkarren Barri publica mensualmente una sección sobre el Camino de Santiago en Bizkaia:

Otras noticias.

• La peregrinación europea de jóvenes a Santiago de Compostela prevista para agosto del 2021, se traslada a aogosto del 2022
• Mensaje del Papa Francisco en la apertura de la Puerta Santa – Año Compostelano