In 1522 St. Ignatius laid down his sword earlier than Our Girl of Montserrat. The Benedictine abbey that homes that statue celebrates its 1,000th anniversary in 2025. In honor of that anniversary, we requested Loyola Press pilgrims to share pictures and recollections of their experiences in Montserrat.
“The expansive great thing about Montserrat had a profound impression on me. The bus journey was breathtaking and treacherous, and the stroll from the lodge to the highest of the mountain was wonderful and difficult. To think about St. Ignatius making that complete journey on foot was deeply shifting. His deep religion and keenness for the mission encourage me past phrases.”
—Valerie Vogel
“Montserrat was an expertise of liminal and sacred area for me. In the identical approach that St. Ignatius skilled a skinny place at Montserrat, I left renewed in hope and pleasure.”
—Julianne Stanz
“I’ve all the time informed those who Montserrat was the spotlight of my Ignatian pilgrimage in 2015. Not solely did I marvel on the astounding magnificence, however I used to be additionally impressed by the notion that Ignatius traversed the hilly, rocky terrain with a bum knee!”
—Joe Paprocki
“As my husband and I hiked to this cross from the monastery at Montserrat, we had been awestruck by the view in addition to the rugged incline. This breathtaking (in additional methods than one!) hike led us to those matters of dialog: It’s no marvel that the Benedictines put a monastery right here. It’s so majestic; you really do really feel nearer to God while you’re right here! How did St. Ignatius make it this far on a nasty leg whereas carrying a heavy sword? What should his willpower and religion have been prefer to preserve going? My husband and I’ve been on loads of hikes, and this one was the perfect by far!”
—Joellyn Cicciarelli
“I really like this image because it appears like fingers reaching to heaven. Montserrat was one of the shifting elements of the pilgrimage for me. I usually return to the thought of laying down ‘my sword’ so I can transfer ahead.”
—Janet Czerwinski
