This summer, Loyola University invited a group to embark on a ten day spiritual journey to Spain to follow in the footsteps of St. Ignatius.

Vice President of Mission and Ministry John Sebastian was one of many participants in the trip, led by the Rev. Ted Dziak, S.J. and the Rev. Robert Gerlich, S.J.

From Bilbao to Barcelona, participants visited places vital to St. Ignatius’s upbringing. These included his home at Loyola and the cave in Manresa where he spent 11 months during his spiritual awakening. Participants also visited and explored the castle where St. Francis Xavier lived.

“The goal of the trip was to explore the life of St. Ignatius and visit places of his spiritual development. Overall, the trip was extremely successful,” Sebastian said.

Sebastian said that while he greatly admired St. Ignatius before taking the pilgrimage, the voyage helped him to further appreciate Ignatius’ thought process and spiritual journey.

“While I had read his autobiography and learned about him, this trip brought to life what I understood and gave it flesh and bone. It made everything real and helped me to appreciate all that St. Ignatius has done,” Sebastian said.

Overall, Sebastian said that the experience was a charming one and impacted him greatly.

“It was a great program and Loyola supported my participation to make this journey an important one. The experiences I earned are ones that I can take back to Mission and Ministry,” Sebastian said.