A 'Compostela' only available this year

Every 100 years the Francistern order produces their own 'Compostela' to celebrate the Pilgrimage of Saint Francis of Assisi to Santiago which happened in 1214 - 800 years ago and so this certificate is available this year (and then there won't be another until 2114).



My certificate is below:

This reads:


Pax et Bonum
Sancti Francisci
Conventus Composelae
Peregrinus Sancti Jacobi Composservi Dei, Francisci Assisi protectione, aedes, quas dominus Cotolaya fundavit, ad praesentiam et permansionem Fratrum Minorum in hac urbe Metropolitana, visit

De mandato fraternitatis suae Revmae
Fr. Francisco Javier Castro Miramontes
Guardianus et humilis in Domino Servus



This translates (imperfectly) as:


Peace and Good
San Francisco
Congress Composelae
Crusaders of the Holy One of Jacob Composservi of God, the protection of Francis of Assisi, house, and the protection of other buildings, which the Lord hath founded the Cotolaya, in this city at the presence of the Friars Minor and the tenure of Metropolitan and inspected the  mandate of the brotherhood of charge Fr. Francisco Javier Castro Miramontes And humble servant of the Lord Warden




To get this certificate you need to take your credential to the Francistern Church 10-11 in the morning or 5-7 in the afternoon (the Church's position is on the map below). Once inside go down the left hand side of the Church to the big wooden doors where there is a monk at a desk who will check your credential, stamp it and get you to fill in a simple form with your name, age and a few other details before he fills in your certificate and gives it to you (they do ask for a small donation).

The Church itself is, I was told, one of the oldest if not the oldest, in Santiago and is worth seeing of itself - very beautiful and simple compared to the Cathedral.



And this is the stamp for my 'Compostela' on my credential:

If you have any questions about how to get this certificate or anything then comment and I'll do my best to answer.

If you want to read more about St Francis' pilgrimage look at this post:

http://footprintsonthecamino.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/saint-francis-of-assisi-and-camino.html?m=1




This post has some info on the nautical pilgrimage happening later this year for the 800th anniversary of St Francis' pilgrimage to Santiago:

http://footprintsonthecamino.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/a-nautical-pilgrimmage-for-saint.html?m=1




Please note that this certificate was only given out in 2014. I visited the Church in April 2015 and the notices about the certificate had been removed and there was no-one giving them out.