Welcome to a virtual pilgrimage with Ignatius
Jesuit and Ignatian Spirituality Australia invites you to Erromeria – a virtual pilgrimage with Ignatius. Erromeria is Basque for a ‘festive pilgrimage’ and Ignatius came from the Basque region of Spain. Erromeria was created to celebrate the “Ignatian Year” a commemoration of 500 years since the conversion of St Ignatius in 2021, and 400 years since his canonisation in 2022.
Experience the gifts of Ignatius’ life and spirituality through a series of stories and prayers of key stages and turning points of Ignatius’ life, and the relevance to our lives, places, and times, including questions to reflect upon.
There are 12 stages in this virtual pilgrimage, including preparation and concluding stages. We invite you to engage with this rich material over several days of silent retreat, or spread out over a number of weeks in your daily life, as your time permits.
Should you wish to connect with a spiritual director to companion you at any time, contact JISA on 1300 EXAMEN (1300 392 636) or info@jisa.org.au.
- Consider the timeline of Ignatius’ life and the pivotal moments of suffering and grace, draw up a timeline of your own life, praying over the periods of darkness, of transformation and grace.
- Be open to the inner movement of your heart, where is the Spirit leading you?
- Use the prayer podcasts to engage with the Spiritual Exercises offered. Keep a Listening Book / Prayer Journal to record your experiences.
- Consider a walking pilgrimage of your own or join one of the JISA pilgrimages, walk as Ignatius did, being open to where God is leading you, spiritually and in all aspects of life.
- Relish the joy of the poetry offered over the Erromeria journey, allow the poetry in your own heart to rise and be articulated.
- Immerse yourself in the details of Ignatius’ pilgrimage. Allow our Erromeria guide, Frances Tilly to take you on the road experiencing the places, cultures, and richness of the journey while you ponder where God might be calling you at this time of your life.
The journey of a pilgrimage is central to Ignatian Spirituality, as we seek to find God in all the moments and experiences of life. You are invited to consider how you might continue to engage with the journey of Ignatius, allowing his experiences to intersect with your own, as you experience life anew with a fresh and energized spiritual vision.
Thank you to the voices of JISA and the Australian Jesuit Province – Spiritual Directors and Givers of Ignatian Spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises in all their forms – who have come together to create this Erromeria pilgrimage!