Confraternity of Saint James
Encyclopedia
The Confraternity of Saint James is a pilgrim
's association, educational charity
and book publisher
for the ancient and modern-day pilgrim
route the Way of St. James
to the city of Santiago de Compostela
in Galicia in northern Spain
.
They are based in London
, England
and publish guide books in English for many of the routes on the Way of St. James.
Most pilgrims choose to make the pilgrimage based on religious reasons, but more and more people choose to make the pilgrimage for the physical challenge. For this growing group, the Archbishopric of Santiago has a special certificate of accomplishment that is not associated with the religiously based 'Compostela'.
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
's association, educational charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
and book publisher
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
for the ancient and modern-day pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
route the Way of St. James
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
to the city of Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
in Galicia in northern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
They are based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and publish guide books in English for many of the routes on the Way of St. James.
Way of St. James
Most European countries have their own St. James associations, but these often do not offer material or information in English. According to the rules of the Archbishopric of Santiago de Compostela, anyone from any country can obtain a certificate of accomplishment (the 'Compostela') if they make the pilgrimage on foot, by bicycle, or by donkey or horse, as long as they hold a pilgrim passport or 'credencial' and can prove with stamps that they have covered the last 100 kilometers (for cyclists, this is 200 kilometers).Most pilgrims choose to make the pilgrimage based on religious reasons, but more and more people choose to make the pilgrimage for the physical challenge. For this growing group, the Archbishopric of Santiago has a special certificate of accomplishment that is not associated with the religiously based 'Compostela'.