Credencial

Pilgrims on the Camino carry a Credencial, or pilgrim’s passport. They are issued by various Confraternities of Saint James, and you can also get one at Cathedrals and other places along the Way.

The idea is that you get it stamped each day – ideally several times a day – to record where you’ve been and to prove that you’re actually a pilgrim walking (or biking) the Camino.

Most pilgrim hostels (usually called albergues or refugios) require that you have a credencial in order to stay there.

Ours were issued by American Pilgrims on the Camino, and as of today, they each have their first two “stamps”. Well, really the two we have are embossed seals, but the ones we get on the Camino will be ink.

On 04 March, we got them sealed by our home parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Tacoma. This seal, as it turns out, was affixed sideways.

On 15 March, we got them sealed by our Cathedral Church of Saint James in Seattle. This one’s upside-down.

Seems about right for us!