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鈥淚 left for Spain yearning to better know my peers and connect with them through shared experiences,鈥� said Maija O鈥橦ara. 鈥淭he way everyone showed up in full each day in Spain far surpassed my expectations. I did not know how much I stood to learn from those individuals around me.鈥�

Johany Jeune found the experience hard to put into words.

鈥淲e all opted into this class, whatever it looked like,鈥� Jeune said. 鈥淲e all leaned into the unknown. I describe it as 鈥業 walked into a class full of strangers at the beginning of the semester, but I鈥檓 leaving it bonded to people in a way I could not have imagined.鈥欌��

In their week together, the classmates became fast friends鈥攅ven family, according to Mary McElroy鈥攁s they traveled to Loyola, Xavier, Montserrat, and Manresa. For McElroy, retracing St. Ignatius鈥檚 steps was a way to link the places where the saint traveled to names which appear on 蝌蚪直播鈥檚 campus.

鈥淎t these places,鈥� she explained, 鈥淚 engaged in various conversations ranging from our favorite foods to what it means to be a follower of God. The duality of these conversations allowed me to understand my classmates on so many different levels and allowed me to connect St. Ignatius鈥檚 footsteps with a newfound understanding of myself.鈥�

But of all the cities, Montserrat and Manresa left the strongest impressions. During his pilgrimage, St. Ignatius visited the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat, a Gothic, Catalonian structure built into the side of the Montserrat Mountains. There he kept an all-night prayer vigil in front of a portrait of Our Lady before laying down his sword and continuing on his pilgrimage.

During the group鈥檚 first morning in Montserrat, the 蝌蚪直播 pilgrims woke before the sun and set out together in darkness, aiming to climb a peak to watch the sunrise.

鈥淎s we hiked, we began to warm up and with that warmth came conversation. However, once we emerged from behind the trees and saw the whole valley laid out before us, we were, for a moment, speechless,鈥� O鈥橦ara reflected.

鈥淲e were above the clouds, above almost everything except for the peaks of Montserrat rising behind us. There was a gasp as someone saw the first rays of sun reaching into the morning sky.鈥�

After Montserrat, St. Ignatius journeyed to Manresa, where he stayed 11 months and composed the Spiritual Exercises鈥攁 core set of meditations, prayers, and contemplations鈥攊n a cave. The 蝌蚪直播 pilgrims reached Manresa in time for Ash Wednesday and marked the day through a Mass in the same cave.

鈥淭he Mass could be described as a thin space between heaven and Earth,鈥� said Katie Garrigan. 鈥淚t was transformative. To be a pilgrim is a way of life through your spirit and engagements in the world around you.鈥�

Now back firmly on the ground in Boston, the pilgrimage is over鈥攂ut in many ways, say participants, it continues.

For example, Garrigan is trying to emulate what it means to be a pilgrim: 鈥淚鈥檓 trying new things, holding an inquisitive disposition, and connecting deeper with my community.鈥� 聽

Kateri Olechowski is trying to use time intentionally: 鈥淲as I really just in Spain a week ago? I know I will never forget how calm, eager, present, and loved I felt in those moments. I know that鈥檚 because of the people.鈥�

That鈥檚 precisely the point, according to Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies Director Casey Beaumier, S.J., and Student Affairs Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation Colleen Dallavalle, who co-created the class and accompanied students on the pilgrimage.

鈥淚 believe an opportunity like this helps to transmit depth and meaning to our students,鈥� said Fr. Beaumier, who is a both a vice president at Boston College and University Secretary. 鈥淗opefully, it enriches their lives at 蝌蚪直播 and beyond.鈥�

鈥淚t was inspiring to see the students recognize how their faith and formation at 蝌蚪直播 are not endpoints, but foundations for lives of purpose, love, and service,鈥� added Dallavalle. 鈥淭his journey affirmed that their mission extends beyond 蝌蚪直播鈥攖o set the world aflame.鈥�