Saint James the Greater was fishing with his father and his brother John the Apostle when Jesus came to the shores of the Sea of Galilee and called for the fisherman, who were unable to catch any fish that day, to dip their nets in the water once again. When the fishermen followed Jesus’ instructions, they found their nets full, and after emptying the fish on board, the boats nearly sank from their weight.
Later, James was one of only three called by Jesus to witness his Transfiguration, and when he and his brother wanted to call fire upon a Samaritan town, both were rebuked by Jesus. Following Christ’s Ascension, James spread the Gospel across Israel and the Roman kingdom as well. He travelled and spread the Word for nearly forty years in Spain. It is said that one day, as he prayed, The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him and asked him to build her a church, which he did. He is universally regarded as the patron of pilgrims because after establishing the Christian religion in the Iberian Peninsual or nowaday Galicia, he returned to Judaea on a pilgrimage and was there beheaded. The scallop-shell is the recognized symbol of all pilgrims on the Camino, as it is found on the shores of Galicia. When returning to their own countries pilgrims displayed the scallop-shell in their hats, to show that they had carried out their pious intentions.