Events
French Society news
Our Annual General Meeting 2024 was held
on February 15, 2025 at Forum 104 – rue de Vaugirard (Paris 75006).
Dear Friends
Over a hundred members turned out at Forum 104 for the highlight of any association’s year: the Annual General Meeting. It’s an opportunity to hear about the association’s (healthy) financial situation and to get an overview of the year’s activities.
François Cartier, who took over as Treasurer in April 2024, presented the accounts and explained the composition of both income and expenditure.
The good rate of new memberships underpins the decline in new memberships observed by all associations.
Monique Jacob, General Secretary, presented the many activities of the Société Française, illustrated by photos, which attest to the vitality of the association.
President Patrice Bernard expressed his wish for a climate of cooperation between the associations jacquaires, who all work for pilgrims and the “Camino”.
He reported on the representations made in recent months:
- Camino Europa Compostela,
- Agence des Chemins de Compostelle,
- Compostelle France Federation, …
The Chairman welcomed the presence of Michel Redrégoo, from Bordeaux Compostelle and winner of second prize in the photo competition, and Louis Chevalier, President of the Paris-Sens-Vézelay association, also from the Confrérie Fraternelle des Jacquets de France.
Anne-Marie Podesta, Vice-President, announced the activities planned for 2025:
- new features such as discovery walks in Paris,
- preparation for the cycling pilgrims, with a preparatory outing in the Vexin region in April,
- a visit to the Mazarine Library, etc.
As 2025 is the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Société Française des Amis de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle, a delegation will travel to Santiago for the Fête des Français on August 25, Saint Louis Day.
An anniversary evening will also be held for members on October 3.
The winners of the 2024 photo competition were announced. Each presented his or her photo and the circumstances in which it was taken. They received their prizes from the President:
Last but not least, pilgrims who obtained the Compostela in 2024 and applied for it, received the Distinction Jacquaire from the Société Française des Amis de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle. With this distinction, the Society pays tribute to the human adventure that each of them has brought to a successful conclusion on their way to Compostela: it was an emotional moment to listen to each of them speak of their experiences, greeted by the glass of friendship that brought the day to a close.
CAMINO EUROPA COMPOSTELA –First Annual General Meeting of July 2, 2024
Representatives from 18 European Associations joined CAMINO EUROPA COMPOSTELA at the 1st General Assembly on July 2, 2024.
SFASJC, one of the founding members of Camino Europa Compostela, is proud of this achievement.
As a reminder, here is the list of founding members:
- Jorge Martinez Cava (President of the Spanish Federation)
- Hedi Verbruggen (President of the Belgian Flemish Association),
- Patrice JM Bernard (President of the Société Française des Amis de Saint Jacques)
- Peter Hesseling (President of Nederland Genootchap),
- Martin Butruile (Compostelle France representative).
- Pascal Duchêne (President of the French-speaking Belgian Association) by videoconference.
CAMINO EUROPA COMPOSTELA’s Constituent Assembly in Logroño
This photo was taken on April 19 following the work session dedicated to the creation of the CAMINO EUROPA COMPOSTELA federation
In the photo from left to right :
- Jorge Martinez Cava (President of the Spanish Federation)
- Hedi Verbruggen (President of the Belgian Flemish Association),
- Patrice JM Bernard (President of the Société Française des Amis de Saint Jacques)
- Peter Hesseling (President of Nederland Genootchap),
- Martin Butruile (Compostelle France representative).
- Pascal Duchêne (President of the French-speaking Belgian Association) by videoconference.
We were invited by the Rioja government to Logroño, the headquarters of the Spanish federation and the administrative headquarters of our new European federation.
The 6 founding members have definitively approved the articles of association and set the CAMINO EUROPA COMPOSTELA headquarters at Mechelen (Mechelen) in Belgium
The constituent assembly will be held in Santiago on July 2, 2024, at the end of which the articles of association will be published in full.
On behalf of the Société Française, I was appointed General Secretary.
The print and broadcast media were on hand to report on our work.
The main purpose of CAMINO EUROPA COMPOSTELA is to:
- promote the fundamental values of the Camino de Santiago. Among
others: sharing, solidarity, tolerance of personal aspirations
ethical bases of the Camino; - gather together and support pilgrimage activities,
- represent them in dealings with European bodies, Unesco and
chemin pour l’Europe géographique.
Patrice Jacques Marie Bernard
General Meeting of November 25, 2023
On Saturday November 25, 2023, some 120 people gathered in the prestigious setting of UNESCO at the invitation of the Société Française des Amis de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle.
At the heart of the event was the 25th anniversary (almost to the day) of the inclusion of France’s Chemins de Saint-Jacques on the World Heritage List.
The event was a succession of high points, which the audience experienced with intensity and emotion. The Annual General Meeting noted the dynamism and good health of the company, and members approved the reports presented in a spirit of support for the actions of the management team.
The presentation of the Jacobean distinction to forty pilgrims returning from Santiago with the Compostela in 2023 was greeted by the song “Buen camino” composed and performed by Marie-Hélène Dupêcher ( Youtube : Marie Du Pêcher Buen Camino / Facbook : MarieLN chanteuse album Tisse ma vie).
Numerous guests joined the members: in addition to representatives of Jacobean associations, Philippe Chauveau, president of Webcompostela, Bernard Lefils, president of the Conférie des Jacquets de France, and Philippe Dionnet, president of Compostelle France, kindly joined us. Mr. Diaz de la Guardia, Cultural Counsellor of the Spanish Embassy, addressed a few words to the audience. Madame Laure Koupalianz, Director of the Agence française des Chemins de Compostelle, underlined the 30-year friendship between our two organizations. In fact, the registration of the Camins de Saint-Jacques in France was made possible thanks to the involvement of the Agency she heads, the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre and the Société Française, who cooperated closely for two years under the impetus of the French Ministry of Culture.
To mark this anniversary, the Société Française presented the prizes for the first photo competition it organized.
It also published and launched the book “1958 de Parthenay à Compostelle”, in which two of those involved at the time, Claude Chauvin and Jacques Vedel, recounted their adventures, with photos and anecdotes, before the book signing.
The event ended, as it should, with a glass of friendship.
Exceptional office closure on June 28, 2025
Exceptional office closure on June 28, 2025☞ Lire la suite
Camino Europa Compostela – AG 2025
Malta hosted the General Assembly of Camino Europa Compostela from May 19 to 26 ☞ Lire la suite
The “spirit of the path” … what is it?
It was a reader and friend of mine who, finding that the “spirit of the path” was often quoted and put to all sorts of uses, prompted me to ask myself this question.☞ Lire la suite2025 photo competition
The photo contest is back for 2025 … It is open to all pilgrims 3 photographs maximum per participant Your photos must be submitted between June 1 and October 15, […]☞ Lire la suite
Invitation to celebrate SFASJC’s 75th anniversary on August 25 in Santiago
Celebrate the 75th anniversary of our Company in Santiago – a few places left! August 25 is the holiday for French people abroad. The Société Française des Amis de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle has regularly honoured her in the Chapelle des Français. ☞ Lire la suite
SFASJC’s 2023 greetings card
Designed by Jade Mroueh
The November 26, 2022 AGM in pictures
On November 26, 2022, the general meeting of the French Society of Friends of Santiago de Compostela was held.
Preceded by a coffee or herbal tea and followed by a convivial aperitif, the morning unfolded in a warm atmosphere where the pilgrim spirit was very much in evidence.
Reminder of the agenda
- 10am: opening of the Annual General Meeting
- Financial report presented by the treasurer
- General secretary’s activity report
- Chairman’s report
- Presentation of the Board’s plans for 2023, followed by a debate on the company’s direction.
- 12:15 pm: presentation of the Jacobean distinction to pilgrims who have obtained the Compostela in 2022 and who have made themselves known.
- 12:30 pm: close of Annual General Meeting and pot de l’amitié, packed lunch
Following the AGM and lunch, a private tour of the Tour St Jacques was organized in two sessions, one at 2 pm and one at 3 pm. The lucky ones were able to take advantage.
At 4pm, the day continued with a spiritual preparation session for those who wished to take part.
Dear members,
In the year 2022, you have reached Santiago de Compostella at the end of your peregrination, the culmination of a journey that may have been underway for several years.
You returned with a Compostela that bears witness to this exceptional adventure?
The Saint-Jacques award
from the Société Française des Amis de Saint Jacques
The Société Française des Amis de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle (French Society of Friends of Santiago de Compostela) has decided to award its Distinction Jacquaire to all pilgrims returning from Santiago on the Compostela who request it.
These pilgrims will receive their Distinction Jacquaire by name at a ceremony following the AnnualGeneral Meeting to be held on Saturday November 26 at the Association’s headquarters in Paris.
Application to be sent before November 15, 2022
to the President of the Société Française des Amis de Saint Jacques de Compostelle with a few lines about the itinerary and a copy (photo or pdf) of the Compostela.
- by post to 8 bis rue Jean-Bart 75006 PARIS
- or by mail at : 1950societe@amis-de-compostelle.fr
Dear members,
Dear friends, dear friends,
Finally, after a two-year postponement, June 11 and 12 2022 were the two days of festivities organized to celebrate the […].
70th birthday celebrations
on June 11 and 12
