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Santuario de Loiola, Lugar, Loyola, Spain

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The journey of St. Ignatius's spiritual transformation began in a room within his family's castle in Loyola, which is now known as the Chapel of Conversion. It was here, during a long and painful recovery from a battle wound, that he experienced a profound shift in his life's direction.

Confined to his bed, Ignatius, a lover of worldly chivalry novels, was given a Life of Christ and a book on the lives of the saints because no other books were available. As he read, his mind would alternate between romantic fantasies about a high-ranking lady and the heroic deeds and penances of the saints.

He soon began to notice a pattern in his emotions. His worldly thoughts brought him momentary pleasure but left him feeling "dry and dissatisfied." In contrast, his holy thoughts not only consoled him but also filled him with a lasting sense of "satisfaction and joy." This realization was a pivotal moment, marking his first lesson in spiritual discernment—the process of recognizing the different sources of one's thoughts and emotions.

This new awareness paved the way for a profound spiritual experience. One night, he had a vision of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, which filled him with immense consolation and a deep loathing for his past worldly life. From that moment on, his focus shifted entirely. He began to dedicate himself to prayer, to conversations about God, and to meticulously copying passages from the lives of Christ and the saints into his own book, preparing for a new life of service to God.

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The account begins with Ignatius as a young man of 26, focused on worldly fame and a career in arms. He became a soldier under the Duke of Nájera.

Fought in the Battle of Pamplona on May 20, 1521, during a French attack on a fortress, he persuaded his fellow soldiers to resist, despite overwhelming odds. While ensuing bombardment, a cannonball shattered one of his legs and injured the other.

He was taken home, where his leg, having been improperly set, had to be brutally re-broken and reset—a procedure he endured without a single word or sign of pain, other than clenching his fists. The surgery left one bone protruding, which Ignatius, obsessed with his appearance, insisted on having "cut away," enduring an even more excruciating surgery to remove it.

This event marked the beginning of his inner conversion.

In Ignatian spirituality, this is known as a “cannonball moment”—an experience that disrupts our path and invites us to reimagine how we live, just as it did for St. Ignatius.

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Santuario de Loiola, Lugar, Loyola, Spain

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Centuries ago, the Chapel of Conversion was the place where St. Ignatius answered God’s call to set the world on fire. Today, that room is where his sons (the Jesuits) go forth to keep that fire burning.

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The Birthplace of St. Ignatius: Azpeitia, Spain

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The Birthplace of St. Ignatius: Azpeitia, Spain

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St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491 at the Castle of Loyola in Azpeitia, Spain.

Raised in a noble Basque family, steeped in chivalric ideals.

Served as a page in the court of Juan Velázquez, treasurer to the king.

Developed a taste for courtly life, ambition, and military glory.

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Once physically stable—but still limping—he chose to walk from Loyola, beginning a spiritual pilgrimage that would reshape his life.

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Sanctuary of Arantzazu, Lugar, Arantzazu, Spain

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Our Lady of Arantzazu was already a popular place for pilgrimage and devotion before Ignatius was even born.

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After his spiritual conversion, St. Ignatius set out on his pilgrimage. He mounted a mule and was accompanied by a brother who planned to travel with him as far as Oñate. Along the way, he persuaded his brother to join him in a vigil at the shrine of Our Lady of Aránzazu, where he prayed for strength for his journey. After leaving his brother in Oñate, he continued on alone toward Navarrete.

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In Navarrete, Ignatius collected some money that was owed to him by the Duke of Nájera's household. He used the money to pay back people he felt indebted to and to repair a statue of the Virgin Mary. He then dismissed his servants and set out alone on his mule for Montserrat. It was after leaving Navarrete that he began his strict regimen of penance and seeking to perform great spiritual deeds to please God.

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On his journey to Montserrat, Ignatius had a pivotal encounter with a Moor, who doubted the perpetual virginity of the Virgin Mary. This led to a fierce internal struggle, with Ignatius feeling a strong impulse to stab the Moor. He resolved the conflict by leaving the decision to his mule, which, by divine intervention, took the main highway, sparing the Moor's life. This event marked a lesson in spiritual discernment. Ignatius also bought his pilgrim's attire on this journey—a long garment made of rough sackcloth and a pilgrim's staff.

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Santuario de Loiola, Lugar, Loyola, Spain

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The Santuario de Loyola (or Sanctuary of Loyola) is a major religious and architectural complex in the Basque Country of Spain. It is a pilgrimage site of immense significance for Catholics, especially members of the Jesuit order.

It is the birthplace of St. Ignatius; the sanctuary is built around the original family tower-house where St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491. This is considered the 'heart' of the complex.

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Black Madonna. La Moreneta .Montserrat, Monestir de Montserrat, Spain

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"La Moreneta" (the little dark one), is a 12th-century wooden sculpture at the Monastery of Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain

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Pilgrimage Stop: Black Madonna in Montserrat, Spain

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Pilgrimage Stop: Black Madonna in Montserrat, Spain

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Upon arriving at the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat, St. Ignatius was inspired by the chivalric tales he had read, particularly the story of the knights of the past performing a vigil of arms before receiving knighthood. He resolved to perform a similar ceremony, not for worldly honor, but as a "knight of Christ."

He spent three whole days with a confessor, making a general confession of his entire life's sins in writing. During this time, he confided his deepest spiritual resolutions to the confessor, who was the very first person he had ever revealed them to.

For his symbolic vigil, he arranged to give up his horse, and he left his sword and dagger hanging in the church at the altar of the Blessed Virgin (the famous Black Madonna of Montserrat). In a secretive act on the night of March 24, 1522, he gave his fine clothes to a beggar and dressed himself in a simple sackcloth garment. He then spent the entire night in a vigil of arms before the altar, alternately standing and kneeling, symbolically laying aside his worldly dignities to take up the armor of Christ.

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Black Madonna. La Moreneta .Montserrat, Monestir de Montserrat, Spain

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Santuario de Loiola, Lugar, Loyola, Spain

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The main altar

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Santuario de Loiola, Lugar, Loyola, Spain

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Internal view of the dome

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Santuario de Loiola, Lugar, Loyola, Spain

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La Moreneta, Monestir de Montserrat, Spain

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Virtual Tour of La Moreneta, Monestir de Montserrat, Spain

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Virtual Tour of La Moreneta, Monestir de Montserrat, Spain

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Where the Sword Was Laid Down At Montserrat Monastery, St. Ignatius of Loyola surrendered his sword before the Black Madonna—marking the turning point from soldier to pilgrim. This virtual tour invites you to step into the sacred space where his transformation began.

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Capella del Rapte (antic Hospital de Santa Llúcia), Plaça de Sant Ignasi, Manresa, Spain

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Pilgrimage Stop: Capella del Rapte  Spain

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Pilgrimage Stop: Capella del Rapte  Spain

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On March 25, 1522, Ignatius of Loyola descended from Montserrat to Manresa.

During his 11-month stay in Manresa, St. Ignatius lived at the Hospital of Saint Lucia, which served as his primary lodging. He practiced extreme fasting and lived in poverty, begging for food and serving the sick. Due to his humble clothes and neglected appearance, many locals considered him a madman and called him the “man of the sack.”

The site of the former Hospital of Santa Llúcia, which was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, is now home to a chapel. This chapel, sometimes known as the "chapel of rupture".

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A key milestone in the the stay of St. Igantius in Manresa is the experience that he lived in front of the Cardener River. There he had a vision which has been called the "Illumination of the Cardener."

Saint Ignatius describes it in his autobiography: "And while sitting there, the eyes of understanding began to open for him. It was not that he saw a vision, but that he understood and knew many things with such great enlightenment that all things seemed new to him".

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Cueva de San Ignacio, Camí de la Cova, Manresa, Spain

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During his time in Manresa, St. Ignatius often went from the hospital to a small cave situated over the Cardener River. This cave, which is now a built structure integrated into the Manresan landscape, was a place of solitude where he meditated, prayed, and began to compile the spiritual notes that would later become his celebrated book, the Spiritual Exercises.

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Santuari de la Cova de Sant Ignasi, Camí de la Cova, Manresa, Catalonia, Spain

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Pilgrimage Stop: Santuari de la Cova de Sant Ignasi

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Pilgrimage Stop: Santuari de la Cova de Sant Ignasi

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Ignatius always considered his stay in Manresa as very important. He said that those months of his life in the city had been for him a kind of novitiate in the things of the spirit.

For this reason, the expression "going to Manresa" means for the Jesuits a pilgrimage to the sources of their history, religious vocation and spirituality. They consider Manresa the cradle city of the Jesuit order. There is no other Catalan city or town that has given its name throughout the world to so many works founded by the Jesuits (currently there are 73)

In 1603 a chapel dedicated to Saint Ignatius was built next to the cave. In the 17th century a church was built as a lobby of the cave. Benediction of the church occurred in 1844. From 1894-96 the convent and the house of spirituality were built. In 1915-18, the aisle between the church and the cave was artistically decorated.

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Barcelona

At the beginning of 1523, Ignatius traveled to Barcelona to find a ship to Italy. He was determined to travel alone and without any provisions, believing his trust should be placed in God alone. However, a confessor advised him to beg for food for the journey. He did so, and though he still felt a strong temptation to trust in God's providence alone, he followed his confessor's advice. After a brief stay, he boarded a ship for Italy, with the ultimate goal of reaching Jerusalem.

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He arrived here from Barcelona in a five-day sea voyage. Upon disembarking, he began the journey to Rome, but his companions were almost attacked by soldiers in a lodge.

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He traveled to Rome on foot, arriving on Palm Sunday. Here, he received the blessing of Pope Adrian VI and was discouraged by many who said he could not get to Jerusalem without money. He accepted some ducats for the journey but later regretted it, giving them all away to beggars.

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Chioggia, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy

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Chioggia, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy

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Chioggia, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy

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He arrived here with companions who decided to go to Padua to get a certificate of health.

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Chioggia, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy

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He traveled here with companions. He was left behind and had a vision of Christ that consoled him, after which he was able to enter the city without a health certificate.

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Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy

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Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy

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Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy

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He arrived here with only a small amount of money. He begged and slept in St. Mark's Square. A rich Spaniard arranged for him to get passage on a government ship to Cyprus. He also became ill with a fever just before departure but embarked anyway.

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The first stop on the sea voyage to the Holy Land was Cyprus. During the journey, some Spaniards warned St. Ignatius that the crew planned to leave him on an island. However, Our Lord willed that they arrive quickly. After leaving the ship at Cyprus, the pilgrims went overland ten leagues to another port called Las Salinas. There, they boarded a new pilgrim ship, on which St. Ignatius once again brought nothing for his maintenance, relying solely on his hope in God.

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The port of arrival for pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. This is where St. Ignatius arrived first.

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His Arrival and Initial Intention

Upon arriving in Jerusalem, St. Ignatius felt great consolation, and his joy was described as "not natural." His firm intention was to remain in the Holy City, both for his own devotion and with the secret desire to "help souls." He presented his case to the Guardian of the friars, who was in charge of the holy places. The Guardian was hesitant, citing the house's poverty and the danger to pilgrims. Ignatius offered to need nothing from the friars except the ability to confess, but the Guardian said he had to wait for the Provincial.

The Test of Obedience

The confrontation with the Provincial was the central incident of his stay.

The Refusal: The Provincial kindly told Ignatius that he could not remain in Jerusalem, citing the dangers of being "captured and killed" and the financial burden of having to ransom captives.

Ignatius's Resistance: Ignatius replied that he was "very firm in his purpose" and would not abandon his intention out of any fear. He frankly stated that he would only leave if he was bound under a matter of sin.

The Final Authority: The Provincial responded that they had authority from the Apostolic See to order anyone to leave or stay and could excommunicate those who disobeyed.

His Submission: Upon hearing this, Ignatius immediately submitted. This moment was a major test, showing that his obedience to the Church was greater than his own personal will or desire.

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After being told to leave, Ignatius felt a strong desire to revisit Mount Olivet and went alone, risking great danger. He bribed the guards with his penknife and scissors to gain entry. On his way back, a Christian servant caught him and led him to the monastery. During this walk, Ignatius felt great consolation from Our Lord and "saw Christ over him continually," a clear sign of divine approval for his ultimate act of obedience.

While his pilgrimage to the Holy Land concluded at Mount Olivet, a new and unexpected journey was just beginning for St. Ignatius.

Stay tuned to learn more!

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Xavier Retreat House, Xavier Rd, Baga, Anjuna, Goa

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Take some time to reflect on your own journey, through the lens of St. Ignatius’s story.