St James

For the non (or forgetful) catholics, St James was a pretty heavy hitter. He was not only one of the 12 aspostles but he was one of Jesus three best friends and highly likely to have been his cousin (mother related to virgin Mary and all that).

After Jesus death he left Jerusalem and travelled to the end of the earth (Santiago and Finisterre) to tell everyone he encountered ¨death has been defeated, Jesus Christ has been resurrected¨.

People out this way weren't having much truck with that notion and James was spectacularly unsuccessful in getting any traction. So he headed back to Jerusalem, where he was even less successful. Instead of the 'yeah right' attitude he met out here, when he got back to Jerusalem he had his head chopped off by King Herod Agripa. It was, as John J would say, a good career move; died in his prime, talking passionately about his message and thereby inspiring his few followers to beg for his remains. They took them back out here, first to Finisterre where they had to ask the Roman legion stationed there if they could bury him in what is now Santiago. The legion weren't over keen but after killing one or two of the followers allowed the others to take James and bury him. He lay there for 800 odd years before a hermit 'had a vision' about where he was, dug, and found him.

Finding holy relics was big business by then. Pilgrims started coming, and, papal indulgences also being pretty much in vogue the pilgrimage became something that could earn a papal indulgence. (You must remember that this was in the days when papal indulgences meant something more than covering up the crimes of kiddy fiddling priests!)

When pilgrims arrive now they visit three places; the gate of glory where they put their hand on the central column and recite the apostles creed (I suspect John J is the only member of our family who could still do that from memory), the tomb of St james and the big bust of St James which they embrace.

After this they also go to confession and then to mass.