CF… So strange… any explanation?

[CroPilgrim]

Hey everyone… I just want to check with you about a very strange situation I just had… or there is an explanation for that… It was 11:15 am (10 min ago) and I was at La Portela de Vlacarce. Small church was open so I entered for a rest and a prayer. There was a pilgrim girl inside lighting a candle and puting coins in for it. Three minutes later as I started praying in silence an old woman from the next door house comes in and tells us to leave (spanish speaking only). Asked why? She just waved her hands for us to leave… tought she has to close or something… left and I looked behind, she just exited the church and entered her home. Church door still open.
What the hell is up with that?! Kicking pilgrims out of the church?!

 

[BarbaraW]

Not many small churches stay open all day. Maybe there was about to be a funeral, or the church was just open after mass.

 

[MichaelB10398]

The complexities of human behavior often defy a straightforward explanation. Sometimes events occur beyond the realm of rational understanding. Allow this to serve as a reminder that personal detachment can be a valuable approach when faced with similar situations. I try to remember that the situation is not about me, but it is about what is going on in the life of the "other".
What is important now is to embrace a forward-looking perspective and adopt a forgiving stance. It will not only facilitate personal growth but will also allow one to navigate life's unpredictable journey with grace and resilience.

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Hey everyone… I just want to check with you about a very strange situation I just had… or there is an explanation for that… It was 11:15 am (10 min ago) and I was at La Portela de Vlacarce. Small church was open so I entered for a rest and a prayer. There was a pilgrim girl inside lighting a candle and puting coins in for it. Three minutes later as I started praying in silence an old woman from the next door house comes in and tells us to leave (spanish speaking only). Asked why? She just waved her hands for us to leave… tought she has to close or something… left and I looked behind, she just exited the church and entered her home. Church door still open.
What the hell is up with that?! Kicking pilgrims out of the church?!

i am sure there was a reason. it's a shame we do not know what it was. let's give her the benefit of the doubt and assume there was a valid reason for asking you to leave.

 

[oursonpolaire]

There is much in village and community life which will always be a mystery to outsiders. You may have discovered a very good example.

 

[CWBuff]

The mystery of the human mind indeed....
As many suggested, I am sure there was a plausible reason for her to do that
Thank said, a little courtesy as we all know it can go a long way. You already have been asked (and based on the OP's post - I presume in your native language) . one or tow words of explanation would've done it.
if could've resulted in

- gracias​

- de nada! buen Camino​

(and what a wonderful world it would be!)

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

Based on timing: you were being asked to leave so they could set up for noon mass.
Some places or people would have invited you to stay for mass.
If you aren't fluent in Spanish, you could have missed an invitation to return for the mass.
I was just in that church about 2 weeks ago and we were free to stay as long as we wanted (it was around 2pm IIRC).
And yes, someone does have to close up a church at some point (usually after the final mass of the day around 5pm).

 

[CroPilgrim]

I hope there was a valid reason. I don’t have a clue what it could be since she didn’t close the church or anything… prepping for the noon mass is to early at 11:15, altar that size takes about 3 min to prep…(elements already there) but ok… it was what it was… let’s continue along the Way…

 

[pat932490]

Maybe she is just a jerk. They exist everywhere.

 

[blueskywa]

Maybe she is just a jerk. They exist everywhere.

This isn't a very constructive reply to a sensible question. Best to keep comments like that to yourself as I'm sure the woman had a good reason even tho she seemed impatient. Different nationalties, different ways of expressing themselves.

 

[pat932490]

This isn't a very constructive reply to a sensible question. Best to keep comments like that to yourself as I'm sure the woman had a good reason even tho she seemed impatient. Different nationalties, different ways of expressing themselves.

I’m sorry you took it that way. I think it’s very constructive. If one goes through life getting upset every time their paths cross with a jerk, unnecessary stress occurs. There are plenty of unpleasant people in the world, I’m sure including Spain. When encountering these people, I recommend letting it go and moving on rather than ruminating over their rude behavior. Specifically, maybe this woman doesn’t like pilgrims and is annoyed by us. I would not let that bother me very long. Living a stress free life is important to me and fussing over the behavior of a jerk I happened to encounter.

Another option would have been to refuse to leave. cropilgrim chose to leave which I agree with. Let it go.

 

[blueskywa]

You're quite right about letting things go, not holding grudges and not getting stressed. Yes lots of unpleasant people in this world.
However the OP was asking for explanations which others gave him so your comment wasn't constructive - it was just a subjective comment how you perceived the woman to be.
We're all guilty of that at times but this Forum is to help others' queries.

 

[Vsic]

“Kicking out” earlier you say she asked all to leave, accept the situation and move.

 

[Marbe2]

Be at peace! Every step is a prayer!

 

[Lydia Gillen]

A little knowledge of Spanish might have been helpful in a situation such as this.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

I hope there was a valid reason. I don’t have a clue what it could be since she didn’t close the church or anything… prepping for the noon mass is to early at 11:15, altar that size takes about 3 min to prep…(elements already there) but ok… it was what it was… let’s continue along the Way…

But you don't know... maybe it was time to vacuum up the gunk from pilgrim boots on the floors, maybe it was time to put new prayer books and other materials on the table and set up parishioner information access... It's not just about the alter.

These churches... they are not tourist stops. They are parishes that happen to be open (luckily, fortunately for us) for local use. In some settings they are owned by the municipality and are no longer consecrated but are the last remnant of a local place for locals to pray and they can't afford to keep them open all day because they've experienced theft and vandalism in too many places that left doors open.

Some of us like to go in and say a prayer and light a candle, but we are doing so on the conditions and ability of those generous enough to keep the places open on very limited resources.

 

[dick bird]

The actual church building and its contents are often the responsibility of the parish ie parishioners. If anything happens to either the church or what is inside, they have to put it right. This may explain why churches in Spain are often kept locked.

 

[PeteAJ]

However the OP was asking for explanations which others gave him so your comment wasn't constructive - it was just a subjective comment how you perceived the woman to be.

I found that comment fine. It's no more subjective that any of the speculation on noon masses or preventing theft. As pilgrims, the vast majority of time we're met with kindness and generosity and welcome. Many of us are guests in a foreign country so yes, points taken about how we might not always understand local customs and language. Let's be honest about things not going perfectly. We're all human and even Spanish humans have personalities and moods. From my own experience, I poked my head in a local government building, might have been in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The doors were open and from the street it looked like I might have been able to admire the lobby at least from inside. I asked in halting Spanish if I could visit and the women inside said no and made a shooing motion and I apologized. I got over it but making a shooing motion I found to be rather rude! Uncharacteristically so which might be why I remember it at all. They're so patient and kind with us 99% of the time is the real takeaway. Why the post was written, why people are trying to explain what happened. Proceed.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

I found that comment fine. It's no more subjective that any of the speculation on noon masses or preventing theft. As pilgrims, the vast majority of time we're met with kindness and generosity and welcome. Many of us are guests in a foreign country so yes, points taken about how we might not always understand local customs and language. Let's be honest about things not going perfectly. We're all human and even Spanish humans have personalities and moods. From my own experience, I poked my head in a local government building, might have been in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The doors were open and from the street it looked like I might have been able to admire the lobby at least from inside. I asked in halting Spanish if I could visit and the women inside said no and made a shooing motion and I apologized. I got over it but making a shooing motion I found to be rather rude! Uncharacteristically so which might be why I remember it at all. They're so patient and kind with us 99% of the time is the real takeaway. Why the post was written, why people are trying to explain what happened. Proceed.

Meh. I think when it's a sort of urgent/sensitive setting (even open-doored government buildings have fairly obvious reasons they would not want random people just traipsing in), the use of a universal "please leave promptly" sign language makes sense. It's not meant to be rude; it's meant to be *clear*. The woman could not read your mind to know your mother tongue. She could grasp that your Spanish wasn't great and that she needed to communicate to you in an immediate way that you were, as you had no business to complete there, trespassing.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

CroPilgrim, I don't know if you are a male or female pilgrim, but knowing a little about the minds of village church ladies, my thought is:
She watches who goes in and out of that church.
She saw the pilgrim girl go in.
She saw you go in a little later. (Assuming you are a male pilgrim.)
When no one came out for a few minutes, she decided to "see what was going on."
She found nothing juicy to report.
But just to be safe, and just because she could, she turfed you both out.
Welcome to life in a small town.

 

[PeteAJ]

Meh. I think when it's a sort of urgent/sensitive setting (even open-doored government buildings have fairly obvious reasons they would not want random people just traipsing in), the use of a universal "please leave promptly" sign language makes sense. It's not meant to be rude; it's meant to be *clear*. The woman could not read your mind to know your mother tongue. She could grasp that your Spanish wasn't great and that she needed to communicate to you in an immediate way that you were, as you had no business to complete there, trespassing.

Ok, yes, it's possible the gesture was added as sign language. The whole interaction was a little more brusk than that but really not a big deal. This was in a village and it looked less sensitive or official than a town hall. I mistook it for a place one might actually be able to tour. I don't typically go barging into places. I'm still open to idea that it wasn't permitted and she that was also in bad mood and didn't want to be bothered.

 

[duncanwhyte]

Agatha Christie could sort this out with her village parallels........

 

[mcm]

The complexities of human behavior often defy a straightforward explanation. Sometimes events occur beyond the realm of rational understanding. Allow this to serve as a reminder that personal detachment can be a valuable approach when faced with similar situations. I try to remember that the situation is not about me, but it is about what is going on in the life of the "other".
What is important now is to embrace a forward-looking perspective and adopt a forgiving stance. It will not only facilitate personal growth but will also allow one to navigate life's unpredictable journey with grace and resilience.

Very helpful. Thank You.

 

[MethaV]

Hey everyone… I just want to check with you about a very strange situation I just had… or there is an explanation for that… It was 11:15 am (10 min ago) and I was at La Portela de Vlacarce. Small church was open so I entered for a rest and a prayer. There was a pilgrim girl inside lighting a candle and puting coins in for it. Three minutes later as I started praying in silence an old woman from the next door house comes in and tells us to leave (spanish speaking only). Asked why? She just waved her hands for us to leave… tought she has to close or something… left and I looked behind, she just exited the church and entered her home. Church door still open.
What the hell is up with that?! Kicking pilgrims out of the church?!

Never heard of that, but in one place there was a woman sitting at the entrance keeping close watch over us visitors on entering the church. It felt a bit creepy.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

Never heard of that, but in one place there was a woman sitting at the entrance keeping close watch over us visitors on entering the church. It felt a bit creepy.

They are just protecting things that have a history of being vandalized, pilfered, snickered at… As the thread explains, many of these old churches are not owned by “the church” but by the village, and they take the protection of the naves and alters very seriously, for that nave is the life-raft that carries them along.
There are hundreds to thousands of years of history now of people robbing churches of their artifacts, desecrating alters, stealing relics, moving relics… and I’m sure that locals in any village are aware that at least some people walking caminos are hostile to the churches. I myself have walked on and away from a not insignificant number of guests of camino who have made fun of the the “gaudy, tacky, over the top…” interiors of the churches and cathedrals…. And some have certainly mused in a thankfully lazy fashion about playing “Robin Hood” with the furnishings. There *is* a reason that strangers need to be watched…
But I have also found that the very same woman who might be watching over me on arrival was more than happy to take me to the sacristy for a special stamp (in the monastery after Grado on the Primitvo), or to pray at the site of the miraculous Eucharist (O Cebreiro), or to offer me a special stamp (Palas de Rei), or to fret that my home parish had not stamped my credential and to ask me — politely — if I could please return in 2 hours to consult with the priest before she could stamp my passport (Bordeaux Cathedral). I was was happily given a stamp in the cathedral in Palencia even though it’s not on a camino route…. They were just happy I was making the effort…
So if people come to know your business in *their* spaces, they are overwhelmingly welcoming.
I’d aim to reposition yourself if you can from “creepy” to “protected”.

 

[Gosch89]

Hey everyone… I just want to check with you about a very strange situation I just had… or there is an explanation for that… It was 11:15 am (10 min ago) and I was at La Portela de Vlacarce. Small church was open so I entered for a rest and a prayer. There was a pilgrim girl inside lighting a candle and puting coins in for it. Three minutes later as I started praying in silence an old woman from the next door house comes in and tells us to leave (spanish speaking only). Asked why? She just waved her hands for us to leave… tought she has to close or something… left and I looked behind, she just exited the church and entered her home. Church door still open.
What the hell is up with that?! Kicking pilgrims out of the church?!

You might have had to pay a donation fee to enter? Maybe there was no volunteers at that time to take it. Honestly though, very odd, there must have been a valid reason. Pity we don't speak Spanish. Buen Camino