Autom

At Autom we aim to be your one stop shop for affordable church supplies and we are constantly searching the globe for new unique product offerings. With that said, we are excited to announce the introduction of one of our most exciting new items in a very long time. 

Autom has replicated the fine craftsmanship of the Botafumeiro of Santiago de Compostela in a smaller version for today's church needs. If you are unfamiliar with the history of the Botafumeiro of Santiago de Compostela, please read the section below. Santiago de Compostela's 175 lb censer is one of the largest in the world. The much smaller dimensions of our brass censer measure at 9"W and 14"H with a 45" L chain, but maintain the beauty and elegance of the larger original. Visit www.autom.com to order your own Botafumeiro censer or any other Catholic Church supplies.

The Botafumeiro of Santiago de Compostela

Saint James the Apostle— Santiago—is believed to have preached the Gospel in Spain before his martyrdom in 44 AD. His remains are said to be buried in the famous 12th century cathedral, Santiago de Compostela, in the city of Compostela, in the northwest of Spain.

In the cathedral hangs the famous swinging censer, known as the Botafumeiro, one of the largest thuribles in the world. Botafumeiro means “smoke expeller.” A thurible is a swinging metal container, or “incensory” in which incense is burned to honor God during Holy Mass and other times of liturgical and public prayer.

The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro weighs about 175 pounds and is about 5 feet high. Made of a brass and bronze alloy, the current Botafumeiro was created by the gold and silversmith José Losada in 1851. A dome on the cathedral roof contains the pulley installed in 1604 from which the Botafumeiro is suspended.

During certain important religious occasions, cathedral workers shovel about 90 pounds of charcoal and incense into the Botafumeiro, and then tie it with elaborate knots to the rope. Eight red-robed tiraboleiros (incense carriers) push the huge censer to start its motion. As they pull the ropes, producing increasingly large oscillations of the censer, the huge thurible almost touches the vaulted ceiling.  After 80 seconds of swinging it reaches speeds of 40 miles an hour and heights of 70 feet in a 215 foot arc as it dispenses thick clouds of incense. This is in accord with the well-known Spanish saying, “More incense, less nonsense.”

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela, also known as the Way of Saint James, is a thousand-year-old pilgrimage route stretching over 4,000 miles from France and other places in Europe to Compostela. The use of a swinging censer in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral began in the 11th century, and the great clouds of incense helped to calm and perfume the tired and unwashed pilgrims. It was also believed that the smoke helped prevent the spread of plagues and epidemics. An old saying of the Compostela is good also for our pilgrimage of life: “Slow down and trust in God! You will travel just as far, but with much less pain and strain.”