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St James is now associated with his shrine at Santiago de Compostela, which claimed to have the relics of St. James. Unfortunately there is no proof that James ever visited Spain. St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (AD 58) expressed the intention to visit Spain (Romans xv, 24) just after he had mentioned (xv, 20) that he did not "build upon another man's foundation." This hints that no leading Church member had visited Spain before this date. Although it cannot be proven; James may have visited Spain before his death or his body could have been taken there later.

The tradition that James founded an Apostolic see in Spain dates from around 700, but the first written record of this is in the ninth century, in Notker, a monk of St. Gall (Martyrol. 25 July), Walafried Strabo (Poema de XII Apost.). In AD 813 a tomb discovered at nearby Padrón was said to have been revealed to be that of the apostle St. James. Most of Spain was then occupied by Moslems and the discovery of St. James was an important morale boost for the Christians. An earth church was built over the tomb, later replaced by stone. Unfortunately the town but not the tomb itself, was destroyed in 997 by Abu 'Amir al-Mansur military commander of the Moorish caliphate of Córdoba. In 1078 the present cathedral was begun by order of Alfonso VI King of Leon and Castille.

Some members of our church including the vicar have just made a pilgrimage by bicycle to the tomb of St. James in Santiago. When they collect themselves I hope to set up further inks to describe this trip.