While Ignatius never went back to Jerusalem, and the first companions were prevented by a war to do the journey, the pilgrim practice remained influential in the nascent Jesuit community. Ignatius sent members to the Marian shrine of Loreto to pray for the health of a pope, or to discern in this location one’s own …
Near Rome, in the small chapel of La Storta, Ignatius had a vision that confirmed his being called to be a companion of Jesus, seeing himself placed by the Father with the Son carrying his cross. In this moment, Ignatius’ pilgrimage of discovery of self was brought to a conclusion. He knew clearly who he …
There are three layers of pilgrimage evident in Ignatius’s self-portrait in the Testament. The first such layer concerns primarily his journey to Jerusalem, a physical journey in imitation of Christ in line with the medieval pilgrimage tradition. The second layer refers to a pilgrimage of discovery and unfolding of his identity and vocation. While this …
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Ignatius made, once, a fateful physical pilgrimage. It was to Jerusalem, to the Holy Land. Born in Spain and trained as a caballero (knight), Ignatius suffered a significant injury during battle in 1521 at the family castle. During his recovery, he underwent a significant personal transformation characterized by contemplation and a religious conversion. With the …
In a narrative of his life confided to Luis Gonçalves da Câmara, Ignatius uses the term “the pilgrim” to talk about himself. The untitled text is alternatively called the Autobiography, The Pilgrim’s Story or Journey, the Reminiscences, or the Testament – since Ignatius chose what he wanted to transmit from his life onto his heirs …
The life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Society of Jesus, illustrates a pilgrim spirit. Ignatius lived out his transformative faith while in motion, whether physically, intellectually, apostolically, or spiritually. Coming of age at the dawn of an era of expanded geographical horizons and religious reforms, Ignatius wanted to go back to …