Ignatian Pilgrimage
Trace Ignatius' footsteps in this transformative experience.
The College's annual summer pilgrimage connects Holy Cross faculty and staff, along with colleagues from other institutions, to the founder of the Jesuits, St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Connecting to the Jesuit Mission
Since 2003, the College has organized an annual summer pilgrimage, the first of its kind, for faculty and staff of Holy Cross and other Jesuit institutions to visit sites important in the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. The pilgrimage is an opportunity for colleagues from various religious backgrounds to share a lived experience of early Jesuit history and Ignatian thought, enhancing their capacity to articulate the College's Jesuit mission.
About the Pilgrimage
Through Northern Spain, the pilgrims trace Ignatius' footsteps, from Loyola Castle, the site of his birth and conversion, to the cave at Manresa where he dwelled for nearly a year, praying and practicing what would become his Spiritual Exercises. They visit the monastery at Montserrat, the birthplace of St. Francis Xavier and the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. Then, they fly to Rome and visit the apartments of St. Ignatius, the Gesù church and the church of St. Ignatius, and the sites of other early Jesuit ministries.
Holy Cross invites groups from other Jesuit colleges and universities to join us on pilgrimage. More than 100 faculty and key administrators have done so already, particularly from Xavier University, St. Louis University, Loyola University Maryland, and Loyola University Chicago.
No matter their religious affiliation or scholarly background, the faculty and staff who have made the pilgrimage consistently report back that the pilgrimage was somehow personally transformative and provided new understanding of what Jesuit mission in higher education means today.
2025 Pilgrimage Itinerary
Monday, May 26, 2025
Depart Boston for Bilbao.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Arrival Bilbao. Walking tour near Guggenhein, visit the Casco Viejo, light lunch at a café, and then continue to Azpeitia. Dinner and overnight in Azpeitia.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Breakfast. Travel to Loyola, visit Loyola Castle and celebrate Mass at the Conversion Chapel, lunch at a restaurant in Azpeitia near the shrine, continue with a visit to the parish Church of St. Sebastian, the hospital where Ignatius lived, and Our Lady of Olatz (all Ignatian sites). Dinner/overnight in Onati.
Thursday, May 29, 2025
Breakfast, travel to Xavier (lunch on our own), visit the Castle. Dinner/overnight in Xavier.
Friday, May 30, 2025
Breakfast, travel to Montserrat. En route, visit the Cave of St. Ignatius at Manresa for Mass. Dinner/overnight at Montserrat.
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Breakfast, full day at Montserrat (lunch on our own). Dinner/overnight Montserrat.
Sunday, June 1, 2025
Breakfast, travel to Barcelona, visit the Gothic Quarter, including Santa Maria del Mar and places where Ignatius lived (lunch on our own), visit Sagrada Familia. Dinner/overnight in Barcelona.
Monday, June 2, 2025
Breakfast, transfer to Barcelona airport for flight to Rome. On arrival, visit St. Paul Outside the Walls and walk along the Via Appia Antica; lunch at Cecilia Metella restaurant; continue to the city to check into the hotel; free time this afternoon and evening.
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Breakfast, morning visit to Ignatian sites, including the Gesù, San Ignazio and Santa Maria Maggiore; afternoon and evening free.
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Breakfast, morning visit to Jesuit Refugee Service at the Jesuit Curia. Lunch and early afternoon on your own; mid-afternoon visit to San Andrea al Quirinale before our closing Mass at the rooms of St. Ignatius and closing dinner. Overnight in Rome.
Thursday, June 5, 2025
Breakfast, transfer to airport for return to the U.S.
Join the Next Pilgrimage
A call for faculty applications is issued each fall. Interested staff should contact the Office of Mission. Other Jesuit institutions should contact Thomas Landy.