The Footsteps of St. Ignatius: Jun 2 – Jun 11, 2027

Upon arrival in Madrid, you will meet your local tour escort and transfer to your hotel located in the heart of Madrid’s historic center. This evening, we enjoy our first Mass of the pilgrimage followed by a special welcome dinner to celebrate the start of our shared pilgrimage.

This morning you will depart for Burgos, the historic capital of Old Castile and the hometown of the most important converso in the Society of Jesus, Juan Alfonso de Polanco, who served as the order’s secretary and Ignatius’s collaborator in composing the Constitutions. You will have Mass at the Santa Maria Cathedral, the burial place of Spanish Kings, and El Cid Spain’s famous hero. Everyone is free to enjoy lunch in this charming medieval city, before making their way to Loyola, where in 1491 St. Ignatius Loyola was born in the Castle of Loyola.

In Loyola, you have a guided tour of Ignatius’s childhood home. The tour culminates with Mass and a private visit to the room where Ignatius experienced his spiritual conversion. The readings include some of the very texts that Ignatius read leading up to his conversion as well as accounts of how Ignatius later assisted others through spiritual conversation. You will also visit the basilica adjacent to the castle—together forming much of the Sanctuary of Loyola—as well as the Loyola family archives. In the afternoon, you venture into the town Azpeitia to visit the church in which Ignatius was baptized as well as the church outside of which he preached and the hospital in which he lived and worked upon his return after his studies in Paris. In the afternoon you travel to the Hermitage of Olatz and to Aranzazu, a popular shrine to Our Lady at the time of Ignatius, where we know Ignatius prayed for strength to overcome his former temptations.

In Loyola, you have a guided tour of Ignatius’s childhood home. The tour culminates with Mass and a private visit to the room where Ignatius experienced his spiritual conversion. The readings include some of the very texts that Ignatius read leading up to his conversion as well as accounts of how Ignatius later assisted others through spiritual conversation. You will also visit the basilica adjacent to the castle—together forming much of the Sanctuary of Loyola—as well as the Loyola family archives. In the afternoon, you venture into the town Azpeitia to visit the church in which Ignatius was baptized as well as the church outside of which he preached and the hospital in which he lived and worked upon his return after his studies in Paris. In the afternoon you travel to the Hermitage of Olatz and to Aranzazu, a popular shrine to Our Lady at the time of Ignatius, where we know Ignatius prayed for strength to overcome his former temptations.

Begin the day with Mass and a visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar, built to commemorate the place where the Virgin Mary standing atop a pillar carried by Angels, appeared to St. James. The basilica’s small, wooden statue of Our Lady of Pilar has been a regular stopping point for pilgrims, both now and during Ignatius’s life. Continue to Montserrat, stopping along the way in the small town of Verdú, the birthplace of St. Peter Claver, SJ, who dedicated his life to the aid of enslaved people in the New World. Upon arrival in Montserrat, you will settle into your hotel for dinner and overnight.

This morning you will travel to Manresa, a place of profound conversion for Ignatius. and visit the Cave of Saint Ignatius where the saint retired to meditate and write his Spiritual Exercises. You will see the Chapel of the Rapture where St. Ignatius remained motionless in ecstasy for eight days and visit the Basilica of la Seu, the large Gothic Church that has come to symbolize Manresa. You will enjoy an audiovisual presentation and a tour of the museum at Manresa. Ignatius remained in Manresa for about a year and a half before continuing his journey to Barcelona.

In the afternoon you will make your way back to Montserrat, home to the dramatically set Benedictine monastery known as Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey.  On a rugged mountainside, you will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat. Since the 12th century, pilgrims have been drawn to the mountain to venerate the miraculous statue of the Black Madonna. It is believed that the founding of the Society of Jesus by St. Ignatius of Loyola was inspired by the Black Madonna’s apparition to St. Ignatius during his pilgrimage to the Shrine of Montserrat. Visit the museum containing works by many of Spain’s great artists and celebrate Mass in the Basilica housing the image of La Moreneta, Our Lady of Montserrat, the patron saint of Catalonia.

Departing Montserrat, we soon arrive in the capital of Catalonia: Barcelona. Our introduction to the city begins with a remarkable view enjoyed from the heights of Tibidabo Hill which overlooks the entire city. Continuing to the lively city below, we visit one of Europe’s most vibrant markets known as La Bocqueria. Here, we are given time to explore the myriad shops and restaurants that so perfectly reflect what it means to live in one of the world’s great cities. Afterwards, we continue on foot to explore the nearby Gothic Quarter where we soon discover the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, also known as Barcelona Cathedral. Constructed from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, the cathedral houses the Crypt of Saint Eulalia where St. Ignatius spent many hours of prayer and reflection. After time for prayer and reflection, we continue to our hotel to close the day.

On our last day in Barcelona, we visit a structure that has come to define the city to Catholics all over the world. Construction of La Sagrada Familia started in 1882 and was originally designed by modernist architect Antoni Gaudi who worked on the project until his death in 1926. Since then, many subsequent architects have lent their expertise to the project while doing their best to fulfill Gaudi’s original vision for what he considered his masterpiece. Even today, the structure is still incomplete although it is mostly finishing touches that remain. Our group will enjoy an in-depth tour which will culminate in the celebration of the final Mass of our pilgrimage within one of the cathedral’s many chapels. After time for lunch, we will proceed to the Jesuit Church of the Sacred Heart. Here, we will have the opportunity to view and pray before the Sword and Dagger of St. Ignatius which he laid at the feet of La Moreneta to renounce the path of soldierly ambition and embrace his higher calling. This evening, we gather at a local restaurant to enjoy a special Farewell Dinner during which we are invited to reminisce and share in the many graces granted to us throughout our pilgrimage.

Today, we bid our fellow pilgrims farewell as we begin the long journey home filled with cherished memories and spiritual blessings that will stay with us forever.