Saint James

     James and John were brothers, the sons of Zebedee.  This James, one of two to follow Jesus as an Apostle, is called "the Greater", simply because he was the first of the two to follow him.  He was given a level of honor because he shepherded the Church in Jerusalem.  He was the first to give his life, having been beheaded by King Agrippa I in about the year 44, and was buried in Jerusalem.  Today is his feast.

     About the ninth century a tradition developed that said that the relics of James were brought to Spain sometime after his martyrdom, and his shrine at Santiago de Compostela grew in importance until it became,  if not the major, then at least one of the greatest pilgrimage sights in all of Europe.  It was on a par with Rome and Jerusalem in importance. Pilgrim routes from every direction in Europe led to Compostela.  Many churches along those routes have as their name Saint James.  The scallop shell, which is the emblem of Saint James, has become the emblem of pilgrims universally.  I seem to remember that the Holy Father 's visit last November had him wearing a brown pilgrim's cape with that shell emblem.

    In 1987 the pilgrimage routes to Compostela were designated by the Council of Europe as historical cultural routes of international importance.

     World Youth Day 2011 takes place in Madrid, Spain next month, with a million young people journeying to Spain in a pilgrimage of Faith in the spirit of Santiago de Compostela.  Pope Benedict XVI will also be in attendance.