Jesuit Studies Immersion Course and Pilgrimage Follow Founders’ Paths
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
On July 18, a group of students returned to the United States from their most unconventional classroom assignment yet: a 12-day guided pilgrimage across Spain and Italy. The immersion trip is the centerpiece of the Institute’s Certificate in Jesuit Studies, a graduate-level program that engages participants in the history, pedagogy, and spirituality of the Society of Jesus. After two weeks of preliminary readings and online discussions, students embarked on an immersion and pilgrimage titled “In the Footsteps of Leaders,” tracing the critical moments of Jesuit history while continuing their rigorous coursework.
Now in its fifth year, the Certificate program offers students a chance not only to discover the riches of the Jesuit legacy, but also to stand in the very spots where that legacy began.
“If places like Montserrat and Loyola are conceptual, sometimes people forget that those are real people and places,” said Fr. Casey Beaumier, S.J., Institute director and a course instructor. “Incarnational encounters increase [our] capacity to feel connected and committed to the mission of the Society of Jesus.”
The immersion course brought participants through picturesque mountains and villages. Students continued to read, write, and deliver presentations to their classmates, all while enjoying the spiritual and historical significance of their surroundings. The combination was fitting, as the early Jesuit leaders blended study and self-discipline with attention to the beauty of nature and place.
Even many of the course readings allowed an opportunity to step into the shoes of the early Jesuits. The syllabus included texts that St. Ignatius himself enjoyed. The reading, combined with the seminar discussions, allowed students to delve to the early history of the Jesuit order, spending fruitful time with works that moved the hearts of the Society’s principal patrons. Themes of the readings and reflections included conversion, pilgrimage, the young Ignatius, and Ignatian legacy, to name a few.
In fact, the emulation of St. Ignatius and his fellows was a key component of the course. Pilgrims followed the moments of Ignatius’ life, visiting—among other sites—his birthplace in Loyola, his battlefield in Pamplona, the place of his conversion in Montserrat, and the cave in Manresa where he experienced eight days of spiritual ecstasy. The route also intersected with the lives of other major Jesuit figures; students visited the hometowns of Juan Alfonso de Polcano, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Peter Claver, as well as the places in Rome where Sts. Aloysius Gonzaga, John Berchmanns, and Stanisław Kostka lived and studied.
In Rome, after visiting the dwellings of these young Jesuit saints, students were treated to a visit to the archives of the Pontifical Gregorian University. There, they were allowed a glimpse at the mammoth tasks that lay ahead for the limited staff. For participant John Giachetta, this day’s activities created a moving contrast.
“Today’s excursions took us on an overview of past and future,” he wrote. “The young Jesuits…were merely three of many that would serve the Society, [and] the work of the small team [of archivists] promises to be a basis for which the Society can better access and understand its roots. …The challenge of we who labor with the Society will be to be in balance somewhere between the two. …We have a lot of work to do when we get back!”
Thus, the ultimate goal of the program was not only to explore Jesuit history, but also to inspire the program participants to carry forward the Society’s legacy.
“That is a blessing provided by this pilgrimage,” wrote student Aiofe Dunne. “The opportunity to deepen our understanding of how we live our lives and how we approach our work in Jesuit education.”
Pilgrims kept detailed daily reflections on their experiences.
Registration for the 2019-20 online classes are now open, and application information can be found here.