Redemptorist Pilgrims ministry in Astorga
Between July 1st and August 28th 2014, the Redemptorist Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Astorga has become one of the spiritual centres of the Camino de Santiago. Every day at 9pm, pilgrims and Redemptorist volunteers shared night prayer, culminating with the Blessing of Pilgrims.
The number of pilgrims participating in the Prayer varies every day: some days there are 60, other days no more than 2. But the number did not matter, because this is a service to those who walk along this ancient penitential pilgrimage. The Redemptorists, lay people and religious, believe that the gospel is true in this service: “I was a pilgrim and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35). Therefore, as well as Prayers and Pilgrims Blessing, every day, Redemptorist volunteers open the doors of the church from 10:30am to lunchtime offering water, fruit, conversation and the seal certifying their passage through the town of Astorga. In the afternoon, again, host information, confessions and evening prayer was offered. A simple service and an open church. Pilgrims always give thanks for the blessing, to find a place to pray, to see smiling people at the end of a stage. The Redemptorist evangelical simplicity has become a reference for pilgrims in this place.
All this is possible thanks to lay people and young Redemptorists, and also Astorga’s community. This project is open at all the Redemptorists across Europe, but for now it is essentially Spanish.
This year we had the participation of the postulants of London Province, Mike Taylor & Roston Price, and a young ukrainian Olya Pushchak. Also young people from Barcelona, Merida, Madrid and Granada, and one spanish postulant participated. Lay Redemptorists from Madrid Perpetuo Socorro, Granada, Zaragoza and Sevilla were present in the Casa ACC San Alfonso. Many of them are married, which makes this community experience a paradise of gifts and special charisms. The Redemptorist priests that were supporting the experience were Fathers Victor Ballesteros, Manuel Cabello and Laureano Del Otero, along with the help of the priests of the community. In total, about 50 volunteers, who have chosen to give of their time every night with more than 1300 pilgrims visiting over the two months.
Secretariat for Evangelization – Madrid CSSR Province
