The “Saints” of the Chaplaincy
Dear Friends,
The Church has just celebrated the feasts of All Saints' and All Souls'. We have given thanks for the witness of the famous saints like Santiago, St. James the Apostle, but we also have given thanks for the living saints (all believers) we have known and loved. This newsletter especially highlights the ministry of the some of the "Saints of the Anglican Pilgrim Centre," our volunteer chaplains.
“You just have to show up and be ready to give some love.”
Mother Jane Bearden wrote those words in a Substack post she sent while serving in August as one of our chaplains. She was writing about her encounter with Munhee (Daniela) Kim, who facilitates the AA meetings held daily at Casa Anglicana.
She (Daniela) is part of an international effort to carry the Gospel into the world. I don't know if she calls herself a missionary or not, but it sounds as such. Different though, because she offers support to pilgrims who need a meeting in a place where alcohol is everywhere. It might seem like a small thing, but she is faithful every day at 6 pm regardless of who shows up...
Mother Jane could just as well have been talking about Mother Carolyn Herold, seen below with Daniela, who offered to lead the Eucharist for two youth groups and their leaders, when at the last minute, one of our chaplains was unable to come.
Jane and Carolyn were among our class of chaplains this year. Each of the 23 from around the Anglican Communion and beyond brought different gifts our camino pilgrim ministry.
Highlights included
David Evans cooked dinner for houseguests and fellow volunteers.
John Cunningham washed dishes when our dishwasher died.
Chris Beukman and his wife played music at San Fiz.
Kathryn Greene McCreight and her husband Matt walked the Camino and arrived at the Casa to begin their time.
Phil White met fellow chaplain Philippa Boardman when he walked into San Fiz at the end of his Camino. April Keech and Philippa were at the time camping out in the unfinished Casa with no guests and plenty of dust.
Sue Stillwell met pilgrims in a café on the street.
Joe Prichett “s red vestments with the beautiful Santiago motif were a nice change in the green season. (Thank you again to Bill Haas for this and the other sets he has so generously given.)
Ian Budd celebrated the Eucharist, his wife acting as his acolyte and chalice bearer.
Jane Bearden and Will Willoughby welcomed the bishops of Spain and Portugal at the end of the Lusitanian Church’s youth pilgrimage.
Stephen Whaley sang the daily offices at San Fiz.
Andy Anderson filled a suddenly open week.
Methodist Pastors David Hindman and Yoko Euda (who wrote his doctoral thesis on Walking the Camino as a Spiritual Practice) added an Ecumenical perspective.
James Howland and his wife Selinde represented the Episcopal church in Canada.
Miriam Fife, Daniel Moore and Jeffrey Shankes, though camera shy, did their parts too.
Pilgrims were blessed, welcomed, heard and fed.
A new book about San Fiz
It was a varied and talented group of individuals, and they did an amazing job, but I think Father John Toles has to win the prize for going above and beyond. He was our chaplain from October 3-9. On his first day he sent me this email.
Hola! I don’t know what’s normal around here, but there were over 400 visitors that walked through the church today from 11 AM to 5:30 PM. I have been hearing confessions, blessing rosaries, taking prayer request, you name it. It was crazy! Loving it. Thanks for the opportunity. Only three at Mass, but it still made for a good day.
Seven days later, on October 10, while on his way back home to Oklahoma, he emailed me to say he had written a guidebook about San Fiz, and it was available on Amazon. It is excellent. Copies are now at the church and in our little library at the Casa. (Chaplains and board members, I will send a copy, if you send me your mailing address.) Everyone else, here’s the link to buy your copy:
At our board meeting in September, Bishop Carlos reported that between from March to mid-September the register at San Fiz showed 2,688 people had attended 186 services of Holy Communion and 168 services of evening prayer. Groups from the US, Britain and Portugal, Korea, and Singapore worshipped at San Fix and enjoyed fellowship at Casa Anglicana.
We would love to welcome your group either in Madrid at the Cathedral at the beginning of your camino (like the group pictured below from Hong Kong) or at the end, like our friends from Birmingham UK and Raleigh NC (also below). Next year is a Holy Year, a Xacobeo, meaning that St. James's Day, July 25, falls on a Sunday. It will be busy. Please let us know when you are coming and if you would like to join us for a service or schedule one of your own.
Walk the Camino with Anglican Centre Board Members
Of special note, two of our board members will be leading pilgrimages in 2027 and welcome additional pilgrims.
May 24, 2027 to June 3, 2027, Father John Beddingfield will be leading a group with Insider's Camino on the Camino Portuguese from Porto to Santiago. Read more and register (SOON, since the pilgrimage is filling up) HERE.
October 17, 2027 to October 29, 2027, Rev. Canon Greg Foraker will be leading a group from Porto, as well. Read more and register HERE.
Thank you to Bishop Carlos for allowing the chaplains and their spouses to stay free of charge at the Casa, to Felipe and Alejandro who take good care of them, to Deacon Anita Miner who coordinates the chaplains scheduling and documentation but especially thank you to the chaplains and their spouses who gave so much to this vital ministry.
2027 Camino Chaplaincy Applications
The application to serve as a volunteer chaplain at the Anglican Pilgrim Centre in Santiago (which consists of Casa Anglicana and ministry at the Church of San Fiz.) Commitments are normally for two weeks.
Casa Anglicana Improvements
Two weeks ago, I took a short trip to Santiago. Barbara, my forever walking partner since my first camino in the year 2000, came with me. She had not been to the Casa since the week we opened three and a half years ago. It is easy to forget how far we have come since then, so it was nice to hear Barbara’s positive comments. She’s right: We have come a long way.
It was good to have the quiet privacy of the library to meet with Bishop Carlos and Felipe. We needed to tackle some of the issues that had arisen due to our remodeling. All the rooms are smaller with the added bathrooms but several of them were problematic. Guests complained that as double rooms they were too crowded, so we have turned them into singles. Barbara was amused by this and said pilgrims had changed a lot from the day when they were thankful for a roof over their heads, hot water in the shower, and a mattress on the floor of a room shared with dozens of other coed pilgrims.
We bought six new energy efficient heaters to replace the last of the original ones. The fruit table the breakfast room has been replaced with a new longer and narrower one so there is now room for both fruit and fruit juices. Shelving beside the buffet table means the breakfast dishes and silverware are all in one place. We have a new dishwasher that works.
In the bedrooms we have added some black-out shades to the front rooms in hopes of cutting down on the street noise and put up curtains in one room that somehow never gotten them. In the next few weeks, we will replace the drab brown blankets with new heavier and more cheerful ones as soon as we decide whether they should be blue or green. Slowly books are being added to the library shelves and slowed they are being organized by subject.
Bishop Griselda Delgado del Carpio, the former Bishop of Cuba, and her husband were visiting family in Lugo and stopped by to see the Casa. Before Bishop Carlos took us all out to dinner, we toured the Casa. Bishop Griselda added her dot to our map. We joked that if she were to be one of our chaplains she would have to learn English. In the library, she was pleased to know it was created in honor of Our Little Roses in Honduras. Both she and her husband were amazed to see a picture of a Cuban landmark hanging in our entryway. Little did we know when we hung it up.
When I am at the Casa, breakfast is always one of my favorite times. Now that we have added boiled eggs and real bread to our buffet along with the tuna empanada, Tarta de Santiago, cereals, oatmeal, yogurt, apples, bananas, oranges, coffee and tea, it is even better.
As good as the food is, the real joy is sharing a meal with our guests. This time, in addition to the usual single night guests, there were a number of people staying three or more nights. What a treat it was to get to know the father and clothes designer daughter from South Africa, the retired couple from New Zealand, the daughter of an Anglican clergyman, a young couple (he from Lisbon, she from Brazil, both working in Milan), the young doctor from Lisbon in town for a conference who was missing her four young children, and Myra, the eight-year-old from Australia who had walked the camino from St. Jean Pied de Port to Finisterre with her mother. Myra kept us all entertained, sharing her experiences and proudly added her name to our guest book. By the time they all left, it felt like the family was breaking up.
Our last day in Santiago I received two messages via our website – both from pilgrims finishing their camino and asking if there was a service that day at four. Happily, one was from a priest who was willing to celebrate the Mass. Old friends and new friends gathered around the altar and later enjoyed a pleasant time in the garden at the Casa. It was the perfect way to end a productive week.
I began with a quote from Mother Jane, and I will close with her words of wisdom,
“You know all those times you or I or some stranger offer to help, or give an encouraging word, or simply show up with goldfish crackers and deviled eggs… those are unsung hero acts too. You just have to show up and be ready to give some love.” Buen Camino, Mother Jane
“PS The AA lady took me to an amazing churro place where I consumed way too much fried dough and chocolate!! My hero!!”
I will end as I always do. Thank you for your prayers and your support. If you are in Santiago, drop in and say hello to Felipe, have a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. If are going to the Episcopal Parish Network conference in Denver next February, drop in and say hello or come to our lunch at the conference on Thursday.
Nancy H. Mead, President