Permanence

Welcome

This is the primary role of the volunteer. All of us, one day, were faced with this situation: to be received in order to be confirmed in the project of leaving. To be a volunteer today is to have been listened to yesterday, so that you can succeed in your journey.

The experience that the volunteer speaks of today, and that he shares with new pilgrims, is his return of know-how. Because all the volunteers at the Association des Amis de Saint Jacques have this experience, they’ve walked the route once or several times, but most of them keep it to themselves, the better to listen and help.

Help

The first choice is the route to be taken. In the Middle Ages, people would set off from home to join a route leading to Santiago de Compostela. Today, in France, we often chooseone of the 4 routes: Tours (via Turonensis), Vézelay (via Lemovicensis), Le Puy-en-Velay (via Podiensis), Arles (via Tolosana). Means of locomotion oblige!

We review the difficulty and interest of each one, and the walker decides where to start. The volunteer encourages the choice. After all, they’re there to make the first step on the path the most important one for the future pilgrim.

“In truth the way matters little, the will alone is enough for everything!”

The myth of Sisyphus – A. Camus

Reassure

Once you’ve chosen your route, the questions start flying: – Isn’t it too difficult?… – Would I be able to do it?… – Is the route well signposted?… Isn’t 20 kilometers a day too much?… – What about accommodation?

A litany of questions to which the volunteers provide simple, precise answers. Nothing is easier than leaving. After all, that’s not why we’re here. The decision on the subject has probably already been made. All we need to do now is encourage and clarify two things:

• You need to take into account the duration of the walk, which can vary from one week to 3 months. Forget about Sunday walks and sports. Think “consistency” and “continuity” from the outset.
• And this is very important: we’re not going to Santiago de Compostela, we’re going to Santiago. This nuance differentiates walkers from pilgrims. The road teaches humility. Let’s not forget that we’re walking in the echoing footsteps of thousands of other pilgrims.

Inform

The Société Française des Amis de Saint Jacques de Compostelle is a non-profit association governed by the French law of 1901, and needs your help to continue to shine through its newsletter “L’écho des chemins de Saint Jacques” and its annual review “Compostelle : Cahiers d’études, de recherche et d’histoire Compostellanes”.

Becoming a member of the association means sharing the same ideal of Santiago de Compostela through meetings: the pilgrim’s potluck on the second Friday of each month (to meet pilgrims who have walked the Way and to exchange views with those who wish to do so), monthly walks of 20 to 25 kilometers around Paris (to prepare well for your journey), conferences (to understand the history of Santiago de Compostela and the Way).

Joining means becoming a member of the association, and perhaps, when you return from Saint Jacques, becoming a volunteer in your own right.

Advisor

It’s all about anticipating the essentials before setting off from no. 8 bis rue Jean-Bart to begin your journey.

The credencial, indispensable on the road, is the pilgrim’s passport. It gives you the assurance of being able to enter a lodge, to have a bed, a shower and all amenities. Every day, it is stamped and dated, attesting to the distance covered, with a view to obtaining the Compostela at the end of the route, which is handed over on arrival in Santiago de Compostela.

The guide means seeing how far you’ve come and how far you still have to go. It’s the pilgrim’s barometer. His companion at every stage. – Where am I? – Where am I going? Its indications must be precise, because they are invaluable on the itinerary, the places and sites to visit. But make no mistake, the path is perfectly marked: shells, red and white markers, yellow arrows, sometimes all 3 on the same path. So there’s no need to weigh yourself down with guidebooks of all kinds, just go straight to the essentials.

The pilgrim’s file is given to everyone with the credencial. It’s a good document to read before setting off. You don’t need to take it with you. It’s for everyone, and talks about the pilgrimage, why go? When to go? It also gives many practical tips for pilgrims: equipment list (not exhaustive), baggage, budget, length of journey, accommodation and, finally, arrival at Santiago de Compostela… Finally, depending on the route you choose, you’ll find a list of all the gîtes up to Santiago and Fisterra-Muxia.

We wish a very pleasant journey to those who start at 8 bis rue Jean-Bart, and to all those who are tempted by the human adventure!