To commemorate USJ’s 150th anniversary, a vibrant community of 70 participants including alumni, students, and staff from both USJ and Hôtel-Dieu de France (HDF) embarked on a deeply inspiring journey to Spain in May 2025, entitled “In the Footsteps of Saint Ignatius.”

This pilgrimage aimed to reconnect with the roots of Ignatian spirituality by retracing key stages of Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s life. From Manresa to Montserrat, passing through Córdoba, Seville, and of course Loyola, the group visited emblematic sites rich in history, faith, and culture.

Among the most marking moments was the Mass celebrated in the Cave of Saint Ignatius in Manresa, a place of silence and transformation where Saint Ignatius laid the foundations of his Spiritual Exercises. This sacred setting offered participants a unique space for prayer, personal reflection, and collective contemplation.

Another highlight was the visit to Loyola University in Seville, where participants discovered a vibrant institution rooted in Jesuit tradition, all while remaining oriented toward the future. Warmly welcomed, they explored how the core values of Ignatian spirituality, namely discernment, service, excellence, and justice, are actively lived out in academic and community life today.

Beyond its spiritual and intellectual dimensions, the journey was also a rich cultural immersion into Spain’s heritage. Through guided tours, culinary discoveries, leisurely walks, and moments of shared experience, each stop helped strengthen the bonds within the group, weaving connections between tradition and modernity.

This pilgrimage was far more than a geographical journey. It was a true inner voyage, inviting each person to reflect on their own life path in light of Ignatian heritage. It nurtured personal introspection while reinforcing the collective identity of the USJ-HDF community, fostering a spirit of communion, gratitude, and renewed commitment. Walking in the footsteps of Saint Ignatius, participants rediscovered the enduring power of Jesuit spirituality and rekindled their engagement, both individually and collectively, in the service of humanity and the common good.

This journey to Spain will remain etched in memory as a moment of deep inspiration, unity, and spiritual renewal. It reflects the living vitality of the Ignatian spirit within USJ and HDF, and reaffirms that the university’s educational, human, and spiritual mission continues to bear fruit 150 years after its founding. It is a legacy that lives on, fully rooted in the present and boldly moving toward the future.

Travel Committee

Click here for photos
Read also: Sur les pas de Saint Ignace… 150 ans d’héritage, une communauté en chemin