Dear Confreres and Consoeurs
The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is one of the only three pilgrimages in which you may earn plenary indulgence, the other two being Rome and Jerusalem. All through the middle ages pilgrims made their way to the shrine of St. James the Apostel. This created a tradition that united believers from all over Europe who came to Santiago de Compostela by different routes (The way of Saint James). They came by land and sea, as in the case of the pilgrims from The British Isles. The spiritual seclusion obtained during the journey to Compostela is intense and so is 2010, being a special year and a Holy Year in Compostela. This rare event occurs when the feast day of Saint James falls on a Sunday, and this will not happen again until 2021.
So, I invite all members of our beloved Order, and with whomever wishes to accompany us, to make this pilgrimage to Compostela as a special and uniquely historic symbol of our spiritual unity. I have reserved the 21st to the 23rd of May 2010 for this event where I hope we may be together and pray together. On Saturday the 22nd the Order will make the traditional offering to the Apostel at the cathedral in a ceremony which will be celebrated by the Archbishop of Santiago. In the evening we will have a gala dinner after an Investiture. It is my wish, that taking advantage of the occasion we hold a meeting of Heads of Jurisdictions and that, since Sunday is Whitsun, we all receive the influence of the Holy Spirit to help us in the decisions that we take then and in the future. The Grand Priory of Spain, as host country, will organize the event and inform our membership off all of the details.
I hope to see and personally greet as many of you as possible in Santiago de Compostela. So please remember to put these days in your agendas, and plan to attend this historic event.
Atavis et Armis
Carlos Gereda de Bourbon
Marquis of Almazan
Magnus XLIX Magister citra et ultra maria, Praeceptor Boignaci
The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is one of the only three pilgrimages in which you may earn plenary indulgence, the other two being Rome and Jerusalem. All through the middle ages pilgrims made their way to the shrine of St. James the Apostel. This created a tradition that united believers from all over Europe who came to Santiago de Compostela by different routes (The way of Saint James). They came by land and sea, as in the case of the pilgrims from The British Isles. The spiritual seclusion obtained during the journey to Compostela is intense and so is 2010, being a special year and a Holy Year in Compostela. This rare event occurs when the feast day of Saint James falls on a Sunday, and this will not happen again until 2021.
So, I invite all members of our beloved Order, and with whomever wishes to accompany us, to make this pilgrimage to Compostela as a special and uniquely historic symbol of our spiritual unity. I have reserved the 21st to the 23rd of May 2010 for this event where I hope we may be together and pray together. On Saturday the 22nd the Order will make the traditional offering to the Apostel at the cathedral in a ceremony which will be celebrated by the Archbishop of Santiago. In the evening we will have a gala dinner after an Investiture. It is my wish, that taking advantage of the occasion we hold a meeting of Heads of Jurisdictions and that, since Sunday is Whitsun, we all receive the influence of the Holy Spirit to help us in the decisions that we take then and in the future. The Grand Priory of Spain, as host country, will organize the event and inform our membership off all of the details.
I hope to see and personally greet as many of you as possible in Santiago de Compostela. So please remember to put these days in your agendas, and plan to attend this historic event.
Atavis et Armis
Carlos Gereda de Bourbon
Marquis of Almazan
Magnus XLIX Magister citra et ultra maria, Praeceptor Boignaci