One Year Ago: Feeling Monkish in Rabanal
(from my journal)
Rabanal del Camino
21 April – Sunday!
Bishop’s Palace in Astorga, by Gaudi. The Bishop never moved in, and it’s a Museum now.
Cathedral in Astorga – Apparently Closed on Sunday Mornings.
What is this?
Francine’s second day, and the Benedictine connection continues. It was a rough day, and we only reached El Ganso – our intended lunch target – at 2PM.
Walking from Astorga to El Ganso
A Hobbit Door?
Memorial. We saw many, many of these on the Camino.
Broad path between road and horse path gave way to walking beside the highway.
The views were spectacular – the mountains got larger and larger as we approached. Francine had the same sorts of pains, adjustments, and stops I had in my own early going, and I did my best to help her and encourage her.
As we gained altitude, it was easy to run out of breath, and I had to make sure that I regulated my own pace, difficult for me in the best of times.
We arrived in Rabanal about 4PM, sore but triumphant. Francine is starting to build confidence and stamina, which she will need in the days ahead. Not sure how we will handle the descent form Cruz de Ferro, but I hope we can make it to Molinesca tomorrow. Will stop in Riego de Ambrós if required.
We’re staying at the fantastic albergue of the Confraternity of Saint James in the UK, with a Benedictine monastery (just three monks) next door.
Francine enters Rabanal
The view from our albergue
Washing Clothes in Rabanal, from top to bottom: Smith, Tara, Francine, Stella
Benedictine Monastery in Rabanal del Camino
We had hoped to find a Sunday Mass here, after not finding an early morning Mass in Astorga – despite the schedule posted by the diocese – and just missing the one in Santa Catalina de Somoza. We did stop in the church there with the intention (at least) to pray awhile and venerate the relics of Saint Blaise there, but after only a moment we were shooed out by an officious church lady.
In retrospect, I believe she was deliberately trying to insult us, but of course I was too oblivious at the time, which I’m sure frustrated her to no end.
Met so many people today!
As I said, we’d hoped to find a Mass at Rabanal, as we had been told of a 7PM Mass, but in the event it proved to be Vespers by the monks – chanted in Latin, with the reading done in Spanish, English, and German. The monks, at least two-thirds of them, are from Bavaria. One of the German monks (Brother Marcus perhaps?) stopped by the albergue about an hour before Vespers looking for readers. So of course, Francine volunteered me.
There were three of us there, given no instruction, but sitting in choir with the monks.
It felt eerily familiar, and it felt right, if that makes sense.
Vespers was beautiful, and it was followed by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. This, we had no fore-warning of, so there I was in the monks’ choir with two other pilgrims who had read the reading from Hebrews, each in their own language, none of us having any idea what to do.
We improvised by just standing amazed and singing what bits of O Salutaris Hostia we remembered, which as it turns out wasn’t much.
Even so, a sublime experience.
Afterwards, dinner with Smith and Tara, plus a new Irish friend, Mark Kilmartin. Then Compline. Now sleep.
All them thar photos – day 20.