Walsh Jesuit High School

Walsh Jesuit High School will be celebrating its 60th anniversary.  As a way to highlight the heritage of our institution, the alumni and advancement office is organizing a pilgrimage to Spain and Rome to walk in the footsteps of St. Ignatius and the early Jesuits.  Our program begins in Loyola, where St. Ignatius was born and grew up.  Our visit there will bring to life the people, places, and events that shaped this visionary man of faith.  We will traverse northeast Spain, roughly following the route St. Ignatius did when he traveled to Barcelona, stopping in Montserrat (where he had a profound experience in front of the famous statue of the Black Madonna) and in Manresa (where he began conceptualizing and sketching out the Spiritual Exercises).  After a visit to Barcelona, we will travel to Rome where St. Ignatius received approval for his new order and where his early companions began to give shape and form to the Society of Jesus.  In the early years, the Jesuits opened the Colegio Romano, a school open to the public.  It was this particular choice that set in motion one of the hallmarks of Jesuit ministry and to which Walsh Jesuit owes its heritage. We will be in Rome during the Jubilee Year, a special time when the Pope encourages Catholics to visit historic sites and reconnect with the women and men who shaped our tradition.  We will visit sites associated with the early Jesuits as well as other historical and religious monuments of the city. We have partnered with the Illume organization to create a rich and enjoyable program in northeast Spain and Rome. We will enjoy first class accommodations, meals, local expert guides, and liturgy in historical venues.  We look forward to welcoming members of the Walsh Jesuit alumni community for this inspiring program.  Registration is now open, and space is limited.  

Program Itinerary:

Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Participants will make their own flight arrangements in order to arrive in Bilbao today.  They will make their own way to the designated hotel. The tour manager (who will be with us the whole time) will be in the lobby of the hotel in the afternoon to facilitate check in.  The afternoon can be at leisure for people to relax and enjoy the historical center - including the Guggenheim Museum.  There will be a welcome dinner this evening at a local restaurant.  Overnight Bilbao.

Thursday, May 8, 2025
Breakfast at leisure in the hotel.  This morning we will travel to nearby Azpeitia/Loyola to tour Loyola Castle - a historic structure that provides a window into the life and times of St. Ignatius.  We will celebrate liturgy in the Conversion Chapel where St. Ignatius convalesced after his injury in battle and read stories about the saints. There will be time for people to relax, enjoy the Shrine, and get a light bite to eat on their own. In the afternoon, we will travel to Aranzazu – a shrine up in the nearby mountains – to see a place St. Ignatius visited on his way to Barcelona.  After visiting the shrine and perhaps enjoying some of the hiking trails there, we will return to Bilbao for dinner and overnight.

Friday, May 9, 2025
Breakfast at hotel. Today we travel to Zaragoza.  We will stop first to visit Xavier Castle (where St. Francis Xavier grew up).  It is a beautiful structure in the countryside. We will celebrate liturgy here. Depending on time, we may stop briefly in Pamplona to see where St. Ignatius was wounded.  Depending on make-up of the group, there may be opportunity to do some hiking near Xavier Castle before a light lunch and wine tasting at a local vineyard.  We continue to Zaragoza, a historic city.  We will check into our hotel and then visit the magnificent shrine of Our Lady of Pilar, a site that celebrates Mary's appearance to St. James when he was preaching the Gospel in Iberia.  St. Ignatius visited the shrine.  After our visit, we will gather for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Zaragoza.

Saturday, May 10, 2025
Breakfast at hotel. Travel to Montserrat.  This journey is about 3.5 to 4 hours long.  Perhaps we can schedule the arrival in time for the midday Boys Choir and midday prayer.  People can enjoy the grounds, get something to eat on their own, and even hike trails (there’s a vast network of hiking trails here that link small hermitages).  Before dinner, we will celebrate liturgy in the Cambril Chapel (just behind the Black Madonna - a famous statue of Mary that was transformative in St. Ignatius' decision to devote his life to ministry).  There will be time before dinner for us to gather and share thoughts about what we have seen so far. Dinner and overnight in Montserrat.

Sunday, May 11, 2025
Breakfast at hotel.  This morning we will travel to Manresa (30 min from Montserrat) to visit the Cave of St. Ignatius where the Spiritual Exercises first began to take shape and form.  We will have liturgy here.  We will then continue to Barcelona (about an hour away). We will visit the Sagrada Familia (the iconic Gaudi basilica) and Santa Maria del Mar (a popular “people’s” church near the port where St. Ignatius had begged).  The rest of the afternoon and evening will be at leisure so that people can enjoy Barcelona at their own pace.  Overnight Barcelona.

Monday, May 12, 2025
Early breakfast.  Early flight (7 AM) to Rome.  On arrival, we will visit the Catacombs (with Mass) and St. Paul Outside the Walls (one of the great monumental basilicas and place where St. Ignatius and his early companions made formal vows after approval of the order).  We will gather for a nice luncheon on the Via Appia Antica – then head into Rome, check into hotel.  The late afternoon and evening will be free for people to enjoy the historical center of Rome at leisure.  Overnight Rome.

Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Early breakfast.  This morning we will celebrate Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica  Since this is the Jubilee Year, participants can walk through the Holy Door.  We will enjoy a guided visit to the basilica after the Mass.  We will then have some free time to shop at the religious article stores in the area around the Vatican, since whatever we bring to the audience the next day will be blessed.  In the afternoon, we will take a walking tour of Ignatian sites in the historical center – including the Gesu’ and the Rooms of St. Ignatius, San Ignazio, and the Colegio Romano (first school opened by Jesuits to serve the public).  We will finish the walking tour with a visit to the Pantheon and PIazza Navona.  This evening we will gather for a pizza/salad dinner at a local pizzeria.  Overnight Rome.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Early breakfast.  This morning we will attend weekly papal audience at St. Peter’s. This afternoon we will visit St. Mary Major, where St. Ignatius celebrated his first Mass.  The church is one of the oldest in Rome and includes spectacular mosaics that will afford us a window into early Christian art.  We continue with a visit to Santa Maria Degli Angeli - a church built out of the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian by Michelangelo. We return to our hotel.  This evening we will gather for a festive farewell dinner at a local restaurant.  Overnight Rome.

Thursday, May 15, 2025
Breakfast.  Our program concludes with breakfast.  People will make their own way to the airport for return flights and/or make their way to other places in Italy or Europe depending on their plans.

Note:    Many areas, especially in Rome, are not well-suited to motorcoach access.  This can mean walking significant distances, often over cobblestone streets and uneven ground, and some of the visits can only be accomplished on foot.  However, we welcome travelers of varying ages and fitness levels, and it’s not uncommon for your tour manager to arrange a rest/meeting spot for anyone who needs it during a long period of walking.  
 

Inclusive Features:

8-nights accommodations in a centrally located hotels, flight from Barcelona to Rome, breakfast daily, one lunch and wine tasting in Xavier, one lunch with limited beverages in Rome, six dinners with limited beverages at the hotels/local restaurants throughout the program, local transportation via deluxe motorcoach, a full-time local tour manager and guide, and entrances and guided visits per the itinerary

Land Only Program Prices:

Excludes transatlantic airfare and airport transfers. The flight from Barcelona to Rome is included in the program.

$5100 per person based on double occupancy
$950 supplement for single occupancy

Please note: If you have selected double occupancy but no roommate is available due to uneven numbers or if your roommate should cancel you will be in a single room and responsible for the single room supplement.

All prices listed are discounted for payment by check. Prices by credit card are 5% higher. All program prices are based on availability of services at the time registration material is received; currency exchange rates in effect April 19, 2024 —and on 2024 land tariffs—and are subject to change. All services are provided subject to Illume’s Conditions and Clauses.

The program prices will be reviewed before the invoices for the final payment are mailed, and will reflect the current prices.

Program Registration:

With questions about the program, please contact:

Don Battista ‘86
Director of Alumni Relations
battistad@walshjesuit.org 
Cell: 330-814-4170 – call or text

With questions about the registration form or deposit payments, please contact:

illume
info@travelillume.com
617-367-6757 x128

Step 1: Complete the online Event Registration Form by June 30, 2024:

EVENT REGISTRATION FORM

Step 2: Submit your $1000 deposit to illume by June 30, 2024.

Checks should be made payable to illume.

Please include the program number 24.10665 on the memo line. 

You will receive a Welcome E-mail from illume after June 30, 2024. You will also receive a link to add optional Travel Insurance/Protection to your program at that time.

Second nonrefundable deposit of $1500 per person due not later than October 1, 2024

Balance of payment due not later than: February 6, 2025

Note: Any changes to the program will be outlined in the final documents which you will receive 3 weeks prior to departure.

Program No. 24.10665