Final Reflections From the Pilgrimage

June 23rd, 2014 by ignatianpilgrimage2014

On our last evening, we gathered to share our experiences and reflections before our farewell dinner in Rome.

“When I started this trip, I didn’t know what to expect. I have had 8 years of Jesuit education and I always understood its roots to be founded in academic rigor and discipline, I had no sense of the spiritual roots. This trip has made me realize more clearly what the Jesuit mission is really all about. It has deepened my connection to the school and given me greater insight into the value of my investment.”

“I know that building a new Retreat Center is an institutional priority for the school. Now I understand its importance to our mission — it is an imperative.”

“The homilies have been so wonderful. The week has supercharged our spiritual battery!”

“The gatherings and the masses were empowering and inspirational. I have a greater appreciation for how your spirit feeds the rest of your life.”

“I married into the Holy Cross family and until now, I didn’t really understand what the bond and connection was to the school and to each other. Now I know what makes this community so special and I have a greater respect for the value of this transformational kind of education. ”

“I feel like we have been given such a grace. The prayer and the gratitude have been so powerful.”

“When I was at Holy Cross, we never learned about the life of St. Ignatius. This trip brings everything full circle. We see how he lived his life and why he made the choices he made. His journey and his teachings are reflected in the kind of education we provide for our students. We teach them reflection. We teach them compassion. We teach them discipline. We teach them to serve the world with their talents.”

“Being in the room where Ignatius experienced his conversion was almost overwhelming. He went from being a warrior to being a deeply spiritual man. How did he do it? Why did he do it? He changed the world.”

“This trip felt like a cleansing. It allowed us to take time from our work and our daily responsibilities and focus on our own spiritual lives. At the same time, we learned new things about each other and our school. We now have a greater appreciation for what JESUIT means.”

“I loved the fact that we all took our own journeys on this trip. For some, it was educational. For some, it was spiritual. For all of us, it was very grounding.”

“At the beginning of the trip, you see how Ignatius has given his life over to service and to God, and you think how can I ever be like him? Then you realize that being like Ignatius is not about a wholesale change in your life — it’s about understanding that one small thing can make a difference.”

“To have five Jesuits on our trip was wonderful. You shared your family story with us and we are so grateful to have experienced this with you. It does help all of us realize that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.”

“Ignatius was focused on the salvation of souls; he could see the presence of God in people. On this trip, his spirit has woven us together.”

“I am more deeply committed to ensuring that the values of a Holy Cross education remain rooted in our Jesuit heritage. It is so important for our students and graduates to understand this side of our story. We alumni who will go out and change the world and that gives me enormous pride.”

The Last Day of Our Pilgrimage

June 15th, 2014 by ignatianpilgrimage2014

​We began the final day of our pilgrimage celebrating an early morning Eucharist in one of the small crypt chapels in St. Peter’s Basilica. In my homily, I spoke again about our journey together — about our journey to sacred places and spaces. From Bilbao to Loyola, Montserrat, Manresa and Rome we experienced spaces that were part of Ignatius’ journey: humble places such as his childhood home, the Room of Conversion, the small parish church in Xavier, the Cave where he prayed in Manresa, his office at the Gesu and the adjoining road room where he died. We also traveled through the striking countryside of the Basque Country, marveled at the magnificent rock formations of Montserrat and finally enjoyed the majestic beauty of the ancient city of Rome. From humble rooms to magnificent scenery to the extraordinary churches of our pilgrimage — the 17th century Basilica at Loyola, the towering Benedictine monastery at Montserrat, the Gesu and Church of St. Ignatius in Rome and, of course, the familiar and awe-inspiring St. Peter’s Basilica — we saw many of the places and spaces where Ignatius grew in Faith.

On this feast of the Holy Trinity we celebrate the power of God whom Ignatius came to know as the creator of the natural world where he encountered God’s transcendent love; as the source of unconditional love and mercy revealed to him in Jesus, who in gentle and compassionate ways led him away from his self-centered life and freed him for generous loving; and the power of the Holy Spirit whom he came to know over time as he discerned his way of serving the world.

Similarly, we have met God in our lives. In our travels, and in our homes and offices, God’s abiding presence both comforts and challenges us to live and love generously as Ignatius did. And what this pilgrimage has so clearly revealed to us anew, is that, like Ignatius, we are loved and forgiven, we are not alone, we are blessed and gifted, and we are called to share our lives with and for others.

As we were celebrating this great feast of the Church, we could hear other liturgies being celebrated in different languages nearby where songs reflecting these cultures added a sense of the universal Church St. Peter’s so powerfully draws together.

After Mass we had a chance to view the magnificent spaces and shrines in St Peter’s. Four of us climbed to the top of the dome and then to the cupola where, despite the stormy weather, the views were magnificent.

At noon, we gathered in St. Peter’s Square to listen to Pope Francis lead the Angelus and offer a brief greeting. The Angelus is an ancient prayer celebrating the Angel Gabriel’s annunciation of the Incarnation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is recited at noon and the time for recitation is traditionally marked by the ringing of church bells. The convergence of so many different peoples, nations and languages praying together was joyously inspiring.

In the afternoon we visited The Basilica of Saint Mary Major where Ignatius celebrated his first Mass on Christmas Day, 1538. We also visited the Basilica of St. Paul “Outside-the-Wall,” where Ignatius and five of his companions walked to pronounce their solemn vows.

Reflection (from the Spiritual Exercises)

​The goal of life is to live with God forever. God who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God’s life to flow into us without limit. All the things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily. As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God insofar as they help us develop as loving persons.

​But if any of these gifts become the center of our lives, they displace God and so hinder our growth toward our goal. In everyday life, therefore, we must hold ourselves in balance before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice and are not bound by some obligation. We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to our life in God. Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what leads to the deepening of God’s life in me.

Prayer of St. Ignatius

​Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, 
my memory,
my understanding, and my entire will,
​All I have and call my own.

​You have given all to me.
​To you, Lord, I return it.
​Everything is yours;
​do with it what you will.
​Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.

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Church of the Gesu

June 14th, 2014 by ignatianpilgrimage2014

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Rooms of Saint Ignatius

June 14th, 2014 by ignatianpilgrimage2014

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A Full Day

June 14th, 2014 by ignatianpilgrimage2014

It was a very busy day today with a visit to the Church of St. Ignatius, the Rooms of Ignatius, The Scavi (excavations) underneath St. Peter’s, then Church of the Gesu and the Jesuit Curia.

Kevin Fitzgerald, S.J., celebrated Mass for us in the room where Saint Ignatius died after we toured the four rooms of his residence and where he worked.

We had the privilege of visiting the Scavi in three small groups. ​What we know today as St. Peter’s Basilica was, in the time of Ignatius, referred to as the “New St. Peter’s” to distinguish it from the old basilica (also called St. Peter’s), built by the Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, over what people at the time were convinced was the site where Peter was buried. By the mid-fifteenth century, the old St. Peter’s was in a sorry state of repair and the decision was made to build a new basilica. The new building would take 120 years to finish, would need the attention of 20 popes and 10 different architects, would include the world’s largest dome and necessitate very, very strong foundations.

​In 1939, when preparations were being made to bury Pope Pius XI in the crypt under St. Peter’s, workmen discovered some tombs that, upon further investigation, seemed to be part of a larger necropolis “city of the dead.” Pope Pius XII authorized the start of a full-scale archaeological excavation which continued for many decades.

It was discovered that there had been a vast pagan burial ground on Vatican Hill and, at some point in time, Christians began to be buried there as well. More importantly, the excavations initiated a search for evidence that St. Peter was buried there, too. Archaeological findings yield probabilities rather than certainties but reputable scientific opinion today holds that the excavations do hold evidence of the mortal remains of the first pope, the apostle Peter.

Ignatius would envy us this opportunity because he had a special devotion to St. Peter and as a very young man had composed a poem in honor of St. Peter.

At the Jesuit Curia we met Fr. Ina Echarte, S.J., Secretary General of the Society of Jesus and Fr. Lisbert D’Souza, S.J., who is the assistant to Father General for South Asia who presented a global overview of Jesuit works and priorities. We were given a special tour of the community chapel and an opportunity to view the city of Rome from the roof top. As we were leaving, we had a chance meeting with the Superior General of the Society, Father Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., who was returning from a day of meetings.

 

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Brian Linnane, S.J., Mary Coffee Moran and Erin Condron pause for a quick lunch near the Vatican.

 

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Fr. Ina Echarte, S.J., showing us the new mosaic in the community chapel at the Jesuit Curia. This depiction of the Annunciation was created by distinguished Jesuit mosaic artist Marko Rupnik, S.J. He is best know for creating the mosaics in the Vatican Chapel for Pope John Paul II.

 

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A view of St. Peter from the roof top of the Jesuit Curia.

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Rome

June 13th, 2014 by ignatianpilgrimage2014

Our first day in a Rome began with some free time in the afternoon and a group dinner followed by a gathering on the rooftop of our hotel for some late night conversation. Mike Rogers, S.J., ’02 joined us for the evening. He is currently living and working in Rome.

The Cross of San Miguel

June 13th, 2014 by ignatianpilgrimage2014

It was an early morning wake-up for four of our Pilgrims who hiked out to the Cross of San Miguel (see picture) to watch the sunrise before departing for Barcelona and Rome.

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More Photos From Montserrat

June 12th, 2014 by ignatianpilgrimage2014

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Photos From the Cave at Manresa, Looking Out to Montserrat

June 12th, 2014 by ignatianpilgrimage2014

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Breathtaking Views From Montserrat

June 12th, 2014 by ignatianpilgrimage2014

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