Looking east through nave on 23 June 1976, two days after the summer solstice Mary Magdalene's relics in the crypt
In 1976, Hugues Delautre, one of the Franciscan fathers charged with stewardship of the Vézelay sanctuary, discovered that beyond the customary east-west orientation of the structure, the architecture of La Madeleine incorporates the relative positions of the Earth and the Sun into its design. Every June, just before the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, the astronomical dimensions of the church are revealed as the sun reaches its highest point of the year, at local noon on the summer solstice, when the sunlight coming through the southern clerestory windows casts a series of illuminated spots precisely along the longitudinal center of the nave floor.[13][14][15][16][17]
Although centuries have passed since this trade route was established, the area wasn’t settled until Carlos Wiederhold Piwonka, a German descendant born in Chile, crossed the Andes and set up a shop he named La Alemana (The German).
Immigrants — mostly from Austria, Germany, and Slovenia — began to settle in the area and thus was born ‘San Carlos’ in 1895, today the city of San Carlos de Bariloche.
The Andeans crossing traverses ancient trade route with a variety of waterways, including Llanquihue, Todos los Santos, Frías and Nahuel Huapi.
The Germanic influence in Bariloche is reflected in the cathedral, Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi.
Throughout the region, visitors see the Alpine-style architecture typical of Patagonia dotting the landscape.
After the first world war, the journey was developed into a commercial tourism route by Ricardo Roth Schütz, an Argentine born to Swiss parents.
Today, people from all over the world visit this area, captivated by its virgin nature that has remained largely unspoiled over the centuries.
The knight Templar raised his sword to the sky. There are Gregorian chants playing in the background and incense burning. He says: “Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam”. The other 4 Templars repeat the phrase while they thump their chest with their right hand. He lowers the sword making an arc in front of a sculpture of the Virgin Mary of Fatima. He then pointed to the flags of Palestine and Israel and prays for peace. After the ceremony and prayers he shares another message before I am sent to bed: “You have just come from the Iron Cross, an energetic center of the Camino, which has been there since before the time of Christ. We are sons of light. Let the interior Camino transform you as it has the power to do so. May the forces of light, which we call angels, be with you in the remaining days.”
The stages covered in this blog post are in the province of Castilla y Leon. They include: Santa Catalina de Somoza – Manjarin – Ponferrada – Villafranca del Bierzo.
The Soul of a Hospitalero
One of the Camino phenomenons is that of the hospitalero. A hospitalero is the person that receives pilgrims in the albergues, the person that offers them rest and shelter. A hospitalero is a volunteer, it is a labor of love. Some do it for a week, some stay for months, some treat it as a vocation and are full-time hospitaleros. Not all albergues in the Camino have this aspect due to commercialization, but many do. I asked a hospitalero who has done this for years and she tells me that the fuel of a hospitalero is to travel without moving, to meet those true pilgrims that are genuinely grateful and kind. Another older hospitalero told me that she wishes to be a grandmother to the pilgrims she receives in the albergue. It’s sad knowing this how some pilgrims think they are arriving at 5 star hotels and complain when their comfort expectations are not met. Nowadays most people who wish to volunteer as a hospitalero sign up with an association. For example organizations like “Friends of the Camino of La Rioja region” or “Dutch Friends of the Camino” and are given a schedule in January of the weeks they would volunteer for.
The hospitalero attitude brings to mind 2 Corinthians 9:12-13: For this service you perform not only meets the needs of fellow believers, but also produces in many an outpouring of gratitude to God. And because of the proof which this service of yours brings, many will give glory to God for your loyalty to the gospel of Christ, which you profess, and for your generosity in sharing with all.
From the Pyrenees to The Iron Cross
From the farmland and hills on the Pyrenees, to the monster mountain crossing of Roncesvalles, to the pouring rain and mud paths in Navarra, to the vineyards and flower fields of La Rioja, to the flatlands of Castilla y Leon. The Way has an ever-changing scenery. It has been weeks since I’ve had a climb. Now the mountain of the Iron Cross awaits.
Wolves and Boars
“The wolf is a violent animal”. Bienvenido, a pastor, tells me in the morning.
Bienvenido
Yesterday evening I was walking alone and saw two large black beasts a few meters from me. It turned into a horrifying 30 minutes as I made my way to the next town. If one of them attacked me, there were no people around and no nearby streets for cars to pass by and see me.
As I further listen to Bienvenido, I rub my hands to keep them from freezing: “A few years ago I fell asleep by a tree and when I woke up it had already slaughtered 14 of my sheep. The wolf kills for sport. It would’ve killed all 100 before taking what it needed for food”. I describe what I saw and he tells me that it was a couple of wild boars. He notices I’m struggling to keep my hands warm and gives me some wool gloves as a gift. He knows where I’m going and he knows that in the mountain it’s going to get worse.
Hooded Monks
It is the climb to the “Cruz de Ferro” or the Iron Cross. It sits on top of a Celtic mount dating from the time before Christ. Some say it shows that the Camino has pagan origins long before it became the well-known christian pilgrimage of today.
My walk takes me up to the town or Rabanal. There I arrive just before the noon mass in a romanic church. It is presided by an order of monks wearing pointed hoods. The mass has substantial portions in latin which are chanted by them. On this day the church celebrates Pentecost, which is the event where the holy spirit came unto the followers of Jesus. A portion of the readings would provide me with courage for what lay ahead:
“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!”
Cruz de Ferro
After the mass I start the most difficult part of the climb. Within a few hours I reach Foncebadon, which is a town surrounded by ruins. It has only a handful of houses and offers albergues to pilgrims who wish to rest and go all the way to the top the next day. I stop to talk with some pilgrim friends staying there but I feel drawn to go further. After reaching the top I find the tall Iron Cross. There is a pilgrim tradition where you take a small stone from your home and carry it all the way here to leave it by the Iron Cross. Doing this can symbolize something you are giving up or want to let go of. Some people say a prayer for themselves or others.
A Snow Storm Takes Me To The Ruins
I start walking beyond the Cruz de Ferro and within a few minutes it starts to snow. I was still over an hour from the next town with albergues when I pass through the mountain village of Manjarin, which is surrounded in ruins. One of them was partly rebuilt and drew my attention. I stop by and I’m greeted by a man, some tea and cookies. He is a Templar. He offers me refuge and I accept. The place is austere, lacks running water and is not connected to the electric grid. You can imagine what type of basic services I lacked that evening.
Soldiers of God
The Templars are known for their code of honor, their knights, and their ties to the crusades. They were officially endorsed by the Catholic Church in 1129. Their role is the protection of Christian pilgrims, particularly those on the way to Jerusalem. They are also known as the “Poor fellow soldiers of Christ”. They had close to 20,000 members at its peak. They were an order that attempted to reconcile two activities that are seemingly incompatible: the religious life with the military life. Some of their later chapels went on to have features of all 3 major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They grew so powerful and resourceful that they could arguably qualify as the world’s first multinational corporation. This along with rumors about their “secret society activities” led to distrust among the kingdoms and the church. After a few hundred years they were suppressed and condemned as heretics.
With Miche in the morning
I go down before dinner to the round table. They all stare at me as Miche asks me one question: “Where are you headed?” To which I could’ve replied “To Santiago”, but instead I answered “To where the Camino calls me to go”. I’ve answered rightly he confirms. He then pours some wine and shares some of their history and the Templar code with me. They are unorthodox christians. They regard Mary, the mother of Jesus, as the human form of the Creative Essence. According to them it has always existed and gave birth to the universe. They also believe in reincarnation and are mystical in their religious views. They recognize “Equality Among All” as the truth that Jesus came to reveal and they fight to protect that truth. Miche, the one who asked me the question, has a walking pilgrimage record that will trump anyone’s. He has walked from Spain to Jerusalem and the Inca Trail from the southern tip of Argentina to Mexico. In many ways they were also like a typical family, having disagreements, discussions and poking fun at each other. The meal with chicken soup, salad, baked potatoes and chicken wings was delicious.
Making My Way Down The Mountain
The next morning one of the first pilgrims I met was Holger from Germany. He has witnessed several of my late evening walks and arrivals with shock. The previous morning I met him at a café where I shared one of my sayings on the Camino: “God protects his pilgrims”. He asked me more about it and I shared the Camino changing experience I had in Tosantos and my newfound trust in God’s providence. Holger would always walk fast and with a definite goal. Today, coming down from the mountain he was a changed man. He was walking almost as if dancing, with his head rocking from left to right. He didn’t even notice he passed me by until I called for his attention. I asked what was new and he said he was in a trance. He’s also had a Camino changing experience and now walks with no particular destination, or a distance goal. He is living the Camino. He is happy and I rejoice in witnessing that.
Vineyards are now growing leafs
At the end of the day in the Ponferrada albergue I would be introduced to Sofia from Portugal. Our first conversation was short and uninteresting. We would be coinciding multiple times in the next few days. She would later become a major part of this journey and challenge my capacity even beyond Santiago.
The Wounded Warrior
The Templar castle in Ponferrada
The next of the Six Stages of Manhood is the Wounded Warrior. Going up the mountain I felt like a conquering warrior, on a mission motivated by love and standing for truth. The days after descending from the mountain felt like a falling out. Every day seemed like a mistake. The extraordinary faded, the magic of the Camino ceased. It grew mundane and dull. I tried to follow a path, but it felt forced and bore no fruit. I felt like I was trying to clean up a mess and feared I would not recover the same spirit for the rest of the Camino. Maybe I was not living a true adventure after all. Maybe I just got lucky to stumble into these extraordinary experiences. Maybe it’s time to face the truth and live the ordinary.
I reach the “Ave Fenix” albergue emotionally exhausted. I grow resentful as I feel more and more isolated from the spirit of the Camino. I see people experiencing wonder and joy with each other and the hospitaleros, but those doors seem closed to me. My heart is heavy and I decide to leave the albergue after 10pm because I cannot bear it anymore. I realize only one week remains and it dawns upon me with great sadness. I feel lost and choose to wander in the cold night in a place I don’t know.
I went out with the intention of being in the vicinity for 10 minutes but I kept walking further. It is almost 11pm and the albergue is about to close. I run in the dark and arrive 5 minutes before but it is already closed and I’m shivering from the cold. It is a large and thick wooden door from centuries ago with no doorbell of course. Out of desperation I start screaming like a madman until the hospitalero comes down and opens. I start a heated argument with him for self-righteous reasons. Here I am thinking of how the Camino is transforming my life for the better and look how pride quickly makes me stumble. After I’m done I notice other pilgrims in shock staring at me and the spectacle I made. I feel shame that quickly leads to anger. I sit down alone with the excuse that I’m waiting for my phone to charge. My morale is at its lowest in the Camino, it is the bottom of the abyss. Afterwards, everybody goes up to sleep and I start to cry. I stayed there until exhaustion took me out.
The Phoenix
I was staying in an Albergue called the “Ave Fenix” and at the time I didn’t realize what it meant. The “Phoenix Bird” is a mythological creature that dies by consuming itself with fire. It then obtains new life by being reborn out of its ashes. The anguish and resentment I felt was like a fire consuming me from the inside. I was dying to myself and the Camino. I was immersed in darkness and couldn’t see beyond myself. They say Hope is a Light, but I had no hope and I dreaded the days ahead.
The next day I would climb O Cebreiro. It is the toughest part of the Camino after going over the Pyrenees and makes the climb to the Iron Cross feel like a teaser. It is almost mythical, since it is where the modern Camino was reborn. It will also be the place where my Camino will be born again to a life beyond my initial expectations. I will be choosing to give up some of the adventures I planned to have after the Camino, and instead take on the path of a servant.
Tomas el Templario
Meeting Kay again
Entrance to the village of El Rabanal
The lower portion of the trunk of the Cruz de Ferro
The Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order in which membership is given to honor services that benefited the country.
La fecha de fundación de San Lorenzo se desconoce, pero el Consejo Municipal decidió en 1984 fijarla el 6 de mayo de 1796, fecha en que los frailesfranciscanos llegaron y comenzaron la evangelización de la zona.
El Complejo Portuario San Lorenzo - Puerto San Martín, es un grupo de Terminales de Embarques y de muelles privados, para cereales/subproductos, aceites, combustibles, hidrocarburos, minerales, químicos y petroquímicos.
El Complejo es el polo exportador más importante del país: sale el 39,2 % del total exportado por Argentina en granos + aceites + subproductos oleaginosos en 1997. A sus terminales llega la producción cerealera de un vasto hinterland del centro, litoral y noroeste del país. A la actividad cerealera del complejo hay que agregarle la actividad en rubros hidrocarburos y derivados, gas, químicos, petroquímicos y minerales.
Todas sus terminales tienen instalaciones y cintas de transferencias apropiadas para la operación con chatas y barcazas; también las condiciones naturales del río Paraná en la zona aporta lugares propicios para operar en top off y en alijes, y que el complejo portuario San Lorenzo - San Martín, es por el momento el último sector del río acondicionado y mantenido para la navegación de buques de gran porte, 32’ (9,75 m) de calado.
Se encuentra dentro del "Complejo Portuario San Lorenzo - Puerto Gral. San Martín", que abarca la totalidad de las terminales de embarques y muelles existentes entre los km 435 y 459 del Río Paraná, que integran a su vez la principal zona portuaria del país, conocida como el Up-River.
Las instalaciones portuarias están a cargo de la Municipalidad homónima.
Hay una Delegación de la AFIP. DGA (Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos. Dirección general de Aduana)
Están presentes las Cooperativas de Trabajadores Portuarios de San Lorenzo y Pto. Gral. San Martín. Estas Cooperativas se basan en el régimen de la Ley de Cooperativas N.º 20337 y su operatoria estibajes portuarios, a través del SUPA (Sindicato Único Portuarios Argentinos).
En 1720 la Compañía de Jesús fundó una estancia, denominada de San Miguel del Carcarañal, cuyo casco se levantaba a la margen derecha del río Carcarañá en jurisdicción de la actual localidad de Aldao y enfrente a Andino. Era un establecimiento ganadero dependiente del colegio La Inmaculada de Santa Fe, destinado a producir bienes para el sostenimiento del colegio del que dependía.
Campo de la Gloria.
Uno de los puestos de la estancia se denominaba de San Lorenzo y estaba emplazado en las cercanías de la desembocadura del arroyo San Lorenzo. Unos pocos ranchos constituían la población integrada por la familia del puestero y la de otros peones y reseros.
El 30 de octubre de 1768, en cumplimiento de la real orden de extrañamiento dictada por el rey Carlos III, la orden jesuítica es expulsada de España y de sus colonias de América. Debido a este hecho se interrumpe la tarea evangelizadora.
La estancia San Miguel pasa a jurisdicción de la Junta de temporalidades de Santa Fe, y en 1774 las tierras son subastadas públicamente.1 El regidor de Santa Fe, Francisco de Aldao, fue uno de los adquirentes, repartiendo las tierras entre sus hijos. Félix Aldao, hijo del regidor, recibe una legua cuadrada, donde se levanta la ciudad de San Lorenzo.
El 1° de enero de 1780 la Capilla San Miguel pasó a manos de un pequeño grupo de franciscanos que venían con el propósito de convertir el lugar en centro de operaciones para su apostolado.
Debido a que la estancia estaba muy deteriorada, en 1790 los franciscanos comienzan a buscar un lugar más apto para vivir y mejor comunicado. Félix Aldao dona una extensión de terreno a los frailes. A partir de ese momento, con la autorización del Virrey Don Nicolás Antonio de Arredondo, comienza la construcción.
El 25 de mayo de 1965 se reemplaza el anterior busto al Gral. San Martín por un monumento con estatua, de cuerpo entero, de bronce patinado florentino, de 2,6 m, con pedestal de mampostería blanco de 2,5 m, en la plaza San Martín. El autor fue el escultor rosarino Erminio Blotta (1892-1976), con la coautoría del escultor rosarino Pedro Cresta (1912-1970); por el Decreto 978/1965, intendencia de Héctor C. Curioni; y Ordenanza 226/1965. Se pagó 900 000 pesos.
Ramales de los ferrocarriles Mitre como Belgrano, atraviesan perpendicularmente el ejido urbano de San Lorenzo. El F1 (Belgrano) como el ramal de Rosario a Tucumán (originalmente del FCBAR extensión a Tucumán) junto con ramales secundarios industriales, sirven para trenes de carga de NCA y TAC que llegan a los puertos de la localidad.
Por Av San Martín desde Fray Luis Beltrán hacia Puerto San Martín, Timbúes, Barrancas, Santa Fe, Reconquista, Resistencia, Formosa y hasta el puente internacional San Ignacio de Loyola, en la frontera con Paraguay.
Las rutas de acceso a la ciudad se enlazan entre sí con la autopista nacional A012, la cual bordea la ciudad recorriendo su periferia sur. La Ruta Nacional 11 recorre verticalmente la localidad y otras rutas provinciales también la conectan con el resto de las localidades vecinas.
Avenida San Martín (Ruta Nacional 11) en su recorrido céntrico por la localidad de San Lorenzo. La doble traza fue realizada a mediados de la década del 2000.
Comenzado en 1792 para reemplazar el heredado de los jesuitas, que estaba ubicado cerca del Río Carcarañá, en el actual distrito Aldao. El convento se albergaba desde 1796 a los religiosos en un edificio de estilo colonial; y se hallaba aún inconcluso en 1813, cuando el 3 de febrero fue empleado por las tropas del entonces Coronel de Caballería José de San Martín para albergarse antes del combate de San Lorenzo, el primer enfrentamiento en la Guerra de Independencia Argentina y único combate librado por San Martín en lo que hoy es suelo argentino.
La iglesia, comenzada en 1807, es obra del arquitecto Juan Bautista Segismundo, también autor de la Recova de Buenos Aires. Además de esta, el conjunto incluye los edificios del convento, el seminario y dos colegios. En el refectorio principal se instaló el hospital de campaña tras el combate, y allí falleció el sargento Juan Bautista Cabral; los muertos fueron sepultados en el huerto.
Hoy funciona en las instalaciones el Museo Histórico del Convento San Carlos, con exhibiciones de arte religioso, un cementerio en el que una urna contiene las cenizas de los caídos en la batalla de San Lorenzo, y varias salas conservadas como monumentos históricos: una celda que alojó al coronel San Martín, el refectorio, y exhibiciones sobre la construcción del convento y la obra de los frailes.
El convento de San Lorenzo tiene además otros antecedentes que ilustran sobre su merecimiento histórico:
En una de sus habitaciones se instaló la primera escuela pública que se abrió en el país después de la Revolución de Mayo; el Colegio San Carlos
En él se firmó el 12 de abril de 1819 el armisticio de San Lorenzo, entre los representantes de Manuel Belgrano y los del General Estanislao López.
Frente al convento fue vencida en 1840 la escuadra francesa que pretendió remontar el Paraná
El 16 de enero de 1846 el general Lucio Norberto Mansilla enfrentó en el mismo sitio a un gran convoy compuesto de unidades del gobierno de Montevideo, escoltadas por buques de guerra ingleses y franceses.
Por ley n.º 12.648 del 2 de octubre de 1940 fueron declarados Monumento Nacional el convento y el campo contiguo, al que se lo denomina "Campo de la Gloria", en honor y referencia a la batalla de San Lorenzo, aunque no fue ese el lugar exacto de la misma.
El convento San Carlos ya no existe como tal en la Orden de Frailes Menores, puesto que fue suprimido y sus religiosos fueron reubicados. La Parroquia San Lorenzo Mártir que se ubica junto al histórico convento fue entregada a la Arquidiócesis de Rosario en el año 2020, por lo que actualmente es atendida por un sacerdote diocesano.
New International Version It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
New Living Translation Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the LORD has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.
English Standard Version It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
Berean Standard Bible It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has bestowed the blessing of life forevermore.
King James Bible As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
New King James Version It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.
New American Standard Bible It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For the LORD commanded the blessing there—life forever.
NASB 1995 It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing— life forever.
NASB 1977 It is like the dew of Hermon, Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forever.
Legacy Standard Bible It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there, Yahweh commanded the blessing—life forever.
Amplified Bible It is like the dew of [Mount] Hermon Coming down on the hills of Zion; For there the LORD has commanded the blessing: life forevermore.
Christian Standard Bible It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has appointed the blessing — life forevermore.
Holman Christian Standard Bible It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has appointed the blessing— life forevermore.
American Standard Version Like the dew of Hermon, That cometh down upon the mountains of Zion: For there Jehovah commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore.
Contemporary English Version It is like the dew from Mount Hermon, falling on Zion's mountains, where the LORD has promised to bless his people with life forevermore.
English Revised Version Like the dew of Hermon, that cometh down upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
GOD'S WORD® Translation It is like dew on [Mount] Hermon, dew which comes down on Zion's mountains. That is where the LORD promised the blessing of eternal life.
Good News Translation It is like the dew on Mount Hermon, falling on the hills of Zion. That is where the LORD has promised his blessing--life that never ends.
International Standard Version It is like the dew of Hermon falling on Zion's mountains. For there the LORD commanded his blessing— life everlasting.
Majority Standard Bible It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has bestowed the blessing of life forevermore.
NET Bible It is like the dew of Hermon, which flows down upon the hills of Zion. Indeed that is where the LORD has decreed a blessing will be available--eternal life.
New Heart English Bible like the dew of Hermon, that comes down on the hills of Zion: for there the LORD gives the blessing, even life forevermore.
Webster's Bible Translation As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for ever.
World English Bible like the dew of Hermon, that comes down on the hills of Zion; for there Yahweh gives the blessing, even life forever more.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version As dew of Hermon—That comes down on hills of Zion, "" For there YHWH commanded the blessing—Life for all time!
Young's Literal Translation As dew of Hermon -- That cometh down on hills of Zion, For there Jehovah commanded the blessing -- Life unto the age!
Smith's Literal Translation As the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion: for there Jehovah commanded the blessing, life even forever.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible as the dew of Hermon, which descendeth upon mount Sion. For there the Lord hath commandeth blessing, and life for evermore.
Catholic Public Domain Version It is like the dew of Hermon, which descended from mount Zion. For in that place, the Lord has commanded a blessing, and life, even unto eternity.
New American Bible Like dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion. There the LORD has decreed a blessing, life for evermore!
New Revised Standard Version It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD ordained his blessing, life forevermore.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible Like the dew of Hermon that falls upon the mount of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Like the dew of Hermon that descends upon the mountain of Zion, because there LORD JEHOVAH commanded the blessing and the Life unto eternity.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917 Like the dew of Hermon, That cometh down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing, Even life for ever.
Brenton Septuagint Translation As the dew of Aermon, that comes down on the mountains of Sion: for there, the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for ever.
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The Germanic influence in Bariloche is reflected in the cathedral, Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi.
![Revelation 1:14 (lsv) - and His head and hairs [were] white, as if ...](https://img2.bibliaya.com/Bibleya/verse/revelation-1-14-lsv.jpg)
My walk takes me up to the town or Rabanal. There I arrive just before the noon mass in a romanic church. It is presided by an order of monks wearing pointed hoods. The mass has substantial portions in latin which are chanted by them. On this day the church celebrates Pentecost, which is the event where the holy spirit came unto the followers of Jesus. A portion of the readings would provide me with courage for what lay ahead:
I start walking beyond the Cruz de Ferro and within a few minutes it starts to snow. I was still over an hour from the next town with albergues when I pass through the mountain village of Manjarin, which is surrounded in ruins. One of them was partly rebuilt and drew my attention. I stop by and I’m greeted by a man, some tea and cookies. He is a Templar. He offers me refuge and I accept. The place is austere, lacks running water and is not connected to the electric grid. You can imagine what type of basic services I lacked that evening.
The Templars are known for their code of honor, their knights, and their ties to the crusades. They were officially endorsed by the Catholic Church in 1129. Their role is the protection of Christian pilgrims, particularly those on the way to Jerusalem. They are also known as the “Poor fellow soldiers of Christ”. They had close to 20,000 members at its peak. They were an order that attempted to reconcile two activities that are seemingly incompatible: the religious life with the military life. Some of their later chapels went on to have features of all 3 major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They grew so powerful and resourceful that they could arguably qualify as the world’s first multinational corporation. This along with rumors about their “secret society activities” led to distrust among the kingdoms and the church. After a few hundred years they were suppressed and condemned as heretics.
The next morning one of the first pilgrims I met was Holger from Germany. He has witnessed several of my late evening walks and arrivals with shock. The previous morning I met him at a café where I shared one of my sayings on the Camino: “God protects his pilgrims”. He asked me more about it and I shared the Camino changing experience I had in Tosantos and my newfound trust in God’s providence. Holger would always walk fast and with a definite goal. Today, coming down from the mountain he was a changed man. He was walking almost as if dancing, with his head rocking from left to right. He didn’t even notice he passed me by until I called for his attention. I asked what was new and he said he was in a trance. He’s also had a Camino changing experience and now walks with no particular destination, or a distance goal. He is living the Camino. He is happy and I rejoice in witnessing that.
