The Apostle James, the reason for the Camino pilgrimage, is celebrated throughout the world on July 25th, his designated saint’s day. In Santiago de Compostela, Saint James is honored in a spectacular way on July 24th, with fireworks and a multimedia show in the Praza do Obradoiro. Below are some photos of this year’s show, courtesy of Robert Anderson, pilgrim from South Africa.
Check out this mesmerizing video:
Robert and Darren Combrink are currently walking to Finisterre to complete their epic Camino and fundraiser for Walking For Life. Bravo guys! Buen Camino!
Meanwhile, closer to home
All over America, pilgrims celebrate St. James Day in different ways. Bay Area pilgrims started on Saturday, July 21st with an urban Camino in San Francisco. The 12-mile trek began near Ocean Beach and continued through the Sunset neighborhood on Santiago Street, up to Mt. Davidson (SF’s highest peak), through the Mission district to St. James church for a mass and pilgrim blessing. We ended the day with tapas, paella, and sangria at at Spanish restaurant. Here’s the video created with MapMyHike and Relive Apps:
For those who missed it, you can follow our footsteps and do this walk any time. And this coming weekend is when he church is actually celebrating Saint James Day!
July 28, noon – 3 pm meditation stations.
July 29, 10:30 mass, followed by BBQ. Here’s a snapshot of the bulletin announcement.
Saint James Catholic Church is located at: Guerrero St & 23rd St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Feast of Saint James Day Potluck & Blessing
On Wednesday, July 25th, our NorCal APOC chapter hosted a Feast of St. James Potluck at Corpus Christi church in Piedmont, with a presentation about Saint James and a blessing for departing pilgrims. I wanted to have a special event in the East Bay, and my parish was the perfect place to have it. The church is located on Saint James Drive, after all!
Double click on photos below to see larger version and read captions.
Message from American Pilgrims on the Camino
Below you will find a message from the APOC Board of Directors:
Happy St. James’ Feast Day!
As you may know, today is the Feast of St. James’ Day, a very special day celebrated all over Spain. Throughout Galicia in particular, there are parades, special foods and meals, and commemorative Masses and ceremonies in the beautiful churches along the Way. And in Santiago, the pilgrim community, which is normally characterized by genuine joy, is even more jubilant!
We at American Pilgrims on the Camino have been supporting the improvement and rebuilding of Camino facilities and infrastructure for many years, by awarding grants to Spanish, French, and Portuguese organizations; this year alone, we made $30,000 in grants to projects along the Camino! The American Pilgrims grant program is a tangible demonstration of our mission of fostering the enduring tradition of the Camino and has helped to support the ever-increasing number of pilgrims that travel the different routes to Santiago. This program is solely possible through member support.
We invite you to join American Pilgrims on the Camino and become part of these lovely contributions to the Camino community. By joining today you will always remember your “anniversary date of belonging” is July 25, the Feast of St. James’ Day. You can start enjoying the benefits and pride of belonging right away.
To join, simply visit http://www.americanpilgrims.org/join-renew.
¡Buen Camino!
On a previous St. James Day post, I shared an overview of how the festival is celebrated in Santiago and a Tarta de Santiago recipe.
Pilgrims, How do you celebrate St. James Day?
Lake Merritt Walk 2018 May Join us on this walk that takes place on the first Saturday of the month, rain or shine. We meet at the Pergola (aka “The Columns”) on the east side of Oakland’s Lake Merritt at 10:30 AM and start walking by 10:45 AM. It’s a level, 3.3-mile walk around the lake that takes about an hour. Whether you’re a newbie or Camino veteran, everyone is welcome. Bring your questions, answers and pilgrim spirit!
Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve Photo by Judy Barnes
During lunch, there will be a screening the Camino documentary Wayfaring – A Jaunt Along The Camino de Santiago. This film follows Scott “Squatch” Herriott, an Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trail veteran, on the Camino Francés in the spring of 2013. He interviews pilgrims, albergue owners, hospitaleros (volunteers of the Camino), and a few locals who like to flirt with young peregrinas. 
