Due to Covid-19 there will be no Camino Chaplaincy this year here in Santiago. Please check for online events here: https://egeria.house/the-camino-chaplaincy-goes-online/
Summary of activity in the first two seasons:
2018 – The Chaplaincy started as a pilot. With the help of 6 priests and 5 lay volunteers the Chaplaincy was launched and from 13 May – 24 June, and 2 September – 21 October, 27 church services were held.
2019 – 7 priests and 6 lay volunteers provided 39 church services continuously from 12 May – 9 October. The average attendance at services increased by 29% compared to the previous year.
Numbers don’t tell the whole story:
- The personal contact with pilgrims and visitors to Santiago. The Eucharists and shared meals which were like Nations United.
- The joy in the faces of the sick pilgrim we visited in their albergue or at their hospital bed providing both practical and spiritual support.
- The peace of mind of those who were supported by our chaplains to talk about difficult issues.
- The laughter and the prayers shared among the chaplaincy team.
- The excellent ecumenical relations we have formed in Santiago, founded on our common belief that we are all here to serve pilgrims.
Our plans for 2020:
As in previous years we plan to provide midweek and Sunday services. We will also welcome pilgrims for coffee, cookies and chats during our Open House at the Ecumenical Centre, as well as hosting shared meals. Most importantly, we will continue to provide and develop our pastoral services and the practical help we can offer pilgrims.
We depend on donations to fund these activities and although individually they don’t cost a lot, over time the costs add up. As our ministry to pilgrims and visitors here in Santiago de Compostela grows, so will the costs!
Please consider supporting us:
If you are considering supporting the Chaplaincy here are several ways you can help – only one of the suggestions costs money:
Pray for us, especially during the winter, as we do the preparation work for next season. Please also pray for the volunteers, both priests and lay people, who will serve during the Chaplaincy season in 2020.
Spread the word about us, and tell everybody that we are here! Word of mouth, either online or in real life, is the best way to make this ministry widely known.
Sign-up to our Newsletter, and stay informed about our activities. You can either use the form in the sidebar of this blog or this >>>direct link<<<.
Tell your friends. Please forward this link http://eepurl.com/gJyQOj to anybody you think might be interested in what we do, so that they also can sign up to our newsletter.
Facebook. We also have a Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/CaminoChaplaincyCoE/ where we regularly post information about events during the season – please ‘like’ it and share it.
Donations: As there are no running costs this year, we are not asking for donations anymore. All donations that have been already received have been transferred to our UK bank account with the Diocese in Europe, Church of England and are ready to be used when the Camino re-opens and pilgrims will need our help.
Volunteering with the Anglican Camino Chaplaincy in 2021:
2021 is the next Holy Year which will bring many more pilgrims than usual to Santiago. We will need all of the help we can get. If you are an ordained priest in a Church in full communion with the Church of England and interested in helping, please email our lead Chaplain Fr Bob for further information: frbobbates@gmail.com.
We might have, limited, need for lay volunteers, in that case, please contact me here: https://egeria.house/contact/.
And finally:
Buen Camino and prayers from Santiago. If you have any questions or suggestions please leave them in a comment or contact me directly via https://egeria.house/contact.