Santa Clara University, Master in Ignatian Spirituality. Nothing better to finish a training on Saint Ignatius than to live the experience of this pilgrimage. Santa Clara organizes an Ignatian pilgrimage every two years, since 2014. The students, men and women, religious and laity, live the experience with great interior consolation, also overcoming the penances that the Way offers us. This 2022 could not be less than the other years, so there was a pilgrim who finished the pilgrimage by bicycle, because his feet could no longer continue. A company near Igualada, VillorvinAdventure, solves the problems of pilgrims who need bicycles to keep moving forward… and they are electric! Going up to Arantzazu, they met students from other Jesuit universities in the USA, so they shared the experience for a few hours. The experience of spending a night at Posada Ignatius in Navarrete was very rewarding, after a long day of walking. In addition, to enjoy the Ignatian history of Navarrete is to take root in the experience of that Íñigo de Loyola who lived three years in that place. The joy of the group came from one of the guides, Katie, and the depth from Julia. The group quickly consolidated, having also shared spirituality classes in Santa Clara. In Manresa, the visit to the place of illumination of Saint Ignatius was a strong moment of prayer and closure of the experience.
The group’s final comment was summarized as follows: “Wow-what a journey! We are now stark-side again at the University after a sometimes challenging and intense but ultimately grace-filled pilgrimage infused with art, natural beauty, and, most importantly, a story sense of communitas. We are sure that the gifts we received will continue to reveal themselves. Really grateful to the Jesuits for making it all possible.”
