In the Footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola
From Conversion to the Spiritual Exercises: An Ignatian Pilgrimage Through Spain
9 Days / 7 Nights | Barcelona · Montserrat · Manresa · Loyola · San Sebastián · Zaragoza · Madrid
About This Pilgrimage
Walk in the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus and one of the great figures of the Catholic Reformation.
Born in 1491 in the Basque Country, Ignatius initially dreamed of military glory and worldly achievement. His life changed dramatically after he was seriously wounded at the Battle of Pamplona in 1521. During his long recovery at his family home in Loyola, reading about Christ and the lives of the saints gradually awakened in him a desire for an entirely different kind of life.
What followed was an extraordinary spiritual journey.
From Loyola, we will follow Ignatius toward Montserrat, where he laid down his sword before the Virgin and spent the night in prayer, and then to Manresa, where months of prayer, penance and mystical experiences helped shape what would eventually become his celebrated Spiritual Exercises.
This pilgrimage therefore follows more than the biography of a saint. It explores conversion itself: how Íñigo López de Loyola, the ambitious young nobleman and soldier, gradually became Ignatius of Loyola, pilgrim, priest and founder of a religious order that would transform Catholic education, missions and evangelization throughout the world.
His spirituality can still challenge every pilgrim today: to discern God’s presence in our lives, to seek His will and to live Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam — “For the Greater Glory of God.”
From Soldier to Saint
The life of St. Ignatius makes this pilgrimage particularly suited to groups interested in conversion, discernment and discovering God’s will.
His journey did not begin with certainty. It began with a wounded soldier forced to reconsider the direction of his life.
Loyola represents conversion.
Montserrat represents surrender.
Manresa represents discernment and spiritual transformation.
These places allow pilgrims not simply to learn about Ignatius, but to consider the same questions he confronted: What is God asking of me? Where do I find lasting peace? How can my talents and circumstances be placed at the service of Christ?
The pilgrimage can therefore be adapted to incorporate periods of silence, guided reflections and elements inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
Pilgrimage Highlights
- Follow the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola through Spain
- Visit Loyola, his birthplace and the place of his conversion
- Enter the historic Holy House of Loyola
- Pray in the Chapel of the Conversion
- Visit the magnificent Sanctuary and Basilica of Loyola
- Pilgrimage to Montserrat, a decisive place in Ignatius’ conversion
- Recall the night when Ignatius laid down his sword before Our Lady of Montserrat
- Follow his journey from Montserrat toward Manresa
- Visit the Cave of St. Ignatius
- Pray beside the Cardener River, associated with one of his great mystical illuminations
- Discover the origins and spirituality of the Spiritual Exercises
- Visit Barcelona and the magnificent Sagrada Família
- Celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza, when available
- Visit Madrid and the Almudena Cathedral
- Opportunity for daily Holy Mass and spiritual activities
- Ideal for Jesuit institutions, schools, universities, parishes, retreat groups and Catholic organizations
Important Information and Terms and Conditions
The published program is a general description and may be adjusted due to availability, operational requirements, local conditions, or the group’s needs. By registering, each traveler confirms that they have reviewed and accepted our Terms and Conditions.
Confirmed trip details, payment information, official meetings and presentations, updates, and final travel documentation will be provided through the official WeTravel page, the final itinerary, and other communications from Pilgrim Groups Travel. Travelers are responsible for reviewing all documents, insurance provisions, entry requirements, and travel instructions provided.
Proposed Itinerary
Days 1 & 2 — USA – Barcelona
Arrival in Spain
Departure from our designated U.S. airport aboard our overnight flight to Barcelona.
Upon arrival, reception and transfer to our hotel. Time to rest following the international journey and prepare for the beginning of our pilgrimage.
Overnight in Barcelona.
Day 3 — Barcelona
Barcelona & the Catholic Heritage of Catalonia
After breakfast, we begin our discovery of Barcelona, one of the great Mediterranean cities of Europe.
Our principal visit will be the extraordinary Basilica of the Sagrada Família, Antoni Gaudí’s monumental expression of Christian symbolism and one of the most recognizable churches in the world.
We will continue through Barcelona’s historic center and Gothic Quarter, discovering the medieval heart of the city and its cathedral.
Our program may also include Park Güell, providing another opportunity to discover Gaudí’s distinctive architectural language and the cultural heritage of Catalonia.
Lunch at a local restaurant followed by free time to enjoy the city.
Overnight in Barcelona.
Day 4 — Barcelona – Montserrat – Manresa
From the Sword to the Pilgrim’s Staff
Today we enter directly into the extraordinary story of St. Ignatius’ conversion.
We travel first to the mountain sanctuary of Montserrat, home of the Benedictine monastery and the beloved image of Our Lady of Montserrat — La Moreneta.
Montserrat became one of the defining places in Ignatius’ transformation.
Arriving here in 1522, he made a general confession and exchanged his nobleman’s clothing for the simple garments of a pilgrim. Before the image of the Blessed Virgin, he kept an all-night vigil and laid down his sword, symbolically leaving behind his former life.
From Montserrat, Ignatius descended toward Manresa. We follow the same spiritual geography to the city where what he initially expected to be a short stay became an intense period of prayer, discernment, penance and mystical experience.
Here we will visit the celebrated Cave of St. Ignatius, today incorporated into an important center of Ignatian spirituality.
We will also recall his experience beside the Cardener River, where Ignatius described receiving such profound interior illumination that the world seemed new to him.
Many of the insights developed during his time in Manresa would eventually contribute to the Spiritual Exercises.
Overnight in Manresa.
Day 5 — Manresa – Huesca – Sos del Rey Católico – San Sebastián
Across Northern Spain
After breakfast, we begin our journey north and west through some of Spain’s most historic landscapes.
Depending on the final program, we may stop in Huesca before continuing toward Sos del Rey Católico, one of Spain’s beautifully preserved medieval towns and birthplace of King Ferdinand II of Aragon.
Beyond its beauty, the journey allows us to understand the political and religious Spain into which Ignatius was born at the end of the 15th century — a period that would soon witness extraordinary changes in Europe and throughout the Catholic world.
We continue into the Basque Country, homeland of St. Ignatius, arriving in San Sebastián.
Overnight in San Sebastián.
Day 6 — San Sebastián – Loyola – San Sebastián
The Conversion of St. Ignatius
Today we reach the heart of our pilgrimage: Loyola.
Here, in 1491, Íñigo López de Loyola was born into a Basque noble family.
After being seriously wounded while defending Pamplona in 1521, Ignatius was brought back to his family home to recover. During his convalescence, he asked for books of chivalry but instead was given religious works concerning the life of Christ and the saints.
Their effect upon him was profound.
Ignatius began noticing the difference between ambitions that temporarily excited him and thoughts of serving Christ that left him with a deeper and more lasting peace. These experiences became foundational to his later understanding of spiritual discernment.
At Loyola we will visit the Holy House, incorporated into the monumental sanctuary complex, and the room traditionally associated with his recovery and conversion, today known as the Chapel of the Conversion.
We will also visit the magnificent Basilica of Loyola and have time for prayer and reflection.
Afterwards, return to San Sebastián, with time to enjoy its historic center and beautiful La Concha Bay.
Overnight in San Sebastián.
Day 7 — San Sebastián – Logroño – Zaragoza
Pilgrimage Across the Ebro Valley
After breakfast, departure toward Zaragoza.
Along the way, we will stop in Logroño, historic capital of La Rioja and an important city on the Camino de Santiago.
Our journey then continues toward Zaragoza, one of Spain’s great historic and Catholic cities.
Here we will visit the magnificent Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, associated by ancient Christian tradition with an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. James the Greater during his evangelization of Roman Hispania.
When possible, we will celebrate the Holy Eucharist at or near this great Marian sanctuary.
Evening walk through Zaragoza’s historic center.
Overnight in Zaragoza.
Day 8 — Zaragoza – Madrid
From Ignatius’ Spain to the Spanish Capital
After breakfast, departure for Madrid.
Upon arrival, we will visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Almudena, dedicated to the patroness of Madrid.
Depending on arrival time and the final program, we may also discover some of the principal landmarks of the Spanish capital, including the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía.
The remainder of the day provides an opportunity to reflect upon the extraordinary journey we have followed: from the wounded soldier recovering in Loyola to the pilgrim who surrendered his sword at Montserrat and underwent his great spiritual transformation in Manresa.
Overnight in Madrid.
Day 9 — Madrid – USA
Return Home
After breakfast, transfer to Madrid Airport for our return flight to the United States.
We return home having followed the geographical journey of St. Ignatius, but also the deeper interior journey at the heart of his life: from ambition to surrender, from soldier to pilgrim, and ultimately from personal conversion to service of the universal Church.
End of our pilgrimage services.
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