VOLUNTEER WEEK AS hospitalero (II). WALKING THE HOLY AND THE PILGRIM BLEEDING

El Camino

Incoming and outgoing hospitaleros

Pilgrims

The hostel in which Star and I have worked for a fortnight belonging to a brotherhood.

I have not quite sure what is supposed to be a brotherhood, in practice as a casal faller but more elitist and instead of throwing firecrackers burn failures and take a walk to the holy feasts mounted. An excuse to get together like any other, only religious bat ranging.

They say ago 900 years their patron saint founded this town, and who went on to help the pilgrims. Today they are pouring, but be helped by pilgrims. El pueblo entero parece un parque temático sobre el Camino de Santiago, where excessive prices charged to any needs the walker may have.

Artisan Bakery on the Way. Do not put the price out, but you learn well when they weigh: to 48 euros el kilo. As platinum.

Stalls-Trade Fair Trail

The matter has degenerated quite, hasta por entrar a la catedral cobran 3 euros. Not pretty by merchants who abuse those who have no choice. But ultimately, live in the jungle of capitalism and each is looking for life.

I can not stand is the hypocrisy, which in this brotherhood is the den of Christians and pious when they have a greed more than suspicious.

The hospitaleros volunteers work for free wherever in shelters for donation and for helping the Pilgrims; nunca en albergues privados que cobran un precio fijo y que por tanto deben contratar y pagar a sus empleados.

Well, many members of the brotherhood we have pressured them not detract pilgrims climb without putting before the donation, embarrassment to us. The pilgrims interest vanishes once they put money in the box. Many times I have felt like in the bank, where the generalized figure “commercial agilizadores”, como perros ovejeros azuzando al personal.

The discussions we had with them were public and increasing.

Perhaps some think that ultimately not put a fixed price and must be paid home maintenance, truth?

Well, if not put a fixed price to do it is because it would behoove pay payroll, of these volunteers are hospitaleros 24 hour, namely, three working days for each of us. In this way not pay taxes like any other business, they are a religious entity “nonprofit”. En cuanto al local es de la iglesia, and either paid or anything Ibi.

And now I discover you something, dear reader. Whether you're a believer or not; you like the guilds or not. You're paying for the cleaning ladies of this brotherhood with public money. And also paid, inter alia, estos 1,3 million grant that gave.

Public subsidies and savings now settled among other.

Doing average between 10 January pilgrims and daily 200 July, and calculating a 5 average donation euros… Where to go 600 USD a day they won? 18.000 euros per month.

Every afternoon comes the prioress with her husband, take the box to where they do not come and take the money. No doubt the honesty of the prioress particular outgoing. But I think the women of the Prior should be like Caesar's. There should only be a lady, if not also appear so.

Any public or receiving grants should have its published accounts and totally broken. Let us not insult the intelligence and when they put those huge panels where they write the total budget of a work to the last penny. What good is that if you do not have access to your breakdown? to see where and with whom you have spent ?

Publishing here the email I sent to the association of volunteers hospitaleros, Hence the story in more detail “Yang” this experience.