From August 20-31, two members of the Georgetown Prep community recently completed the Camino Ignaciano (Ignatian Way), a 10-day pilgrimage across Spain that follows in the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits.

Residential Dean and Dorm Parent Joe Harkins ‘96, his wife and Stone Ridge College Counselor Melissa Harkins, and social studies teacher and dorm parent Brandon Rothenberg joined 27 other educators from Jesuit schools across the United States and Canada for the pilgrimage, which was sponsored by the Jesuit Schools Network (JSN). The group was led by Fr. José Luis Iriberri, SJ, who created the Camino Ignaciano program and leads approximately a dozen pilgrimages each year.

The pilgrimage began in Loyola, the birthplace of St. Ignatius, and concluded in Barcelona, taking participants through many of the places that shaped Ignatius' life and spirituality, including Javier, Verdú, Montserrat, and Manresa.

For Mr. Harkins, the experience brought new depth to a lifetime of Jesuit education.

"Having spent most of my life in and around Jesuit education, I believed I had a strong understanding of St. Ignatius and the philosophy he inspired. I began the Camino expecting to deepen my knowledge of his life, learn some more history, and to experience new parts of the world. I had no anticipation of how profoundly the journey would affect me.

Walking across Spain, following in Ignatius' footsteps, seeing the landmarks that he saw, entering the homes where he lived, praying in the chapels and churches that marked his pilgrimage, and spending time in Montserrat and Manresa—places so integral to his formation—gave me a depth of understanding I never expected. Things that had been ideas and traditions in my life became tangible, personal, and deeply alive. The experience added a wealth of flesh to the bones of the skeleton that had been my understanding of St. Ignatius and Jesuit philosophy.

The experience transformed my appreciation for St. Ignatius, Jesuit spirituality, and the mission of Jesuit education. I came back to campus with a renewed sense of gratitude for the work we do at Prep and a deeper conviction about the importance of Ignatian spirituality and the impact it can have in all of our lives."

Mr. Rothenberg reflected on the opportunity to walk alongside fellow Jesuit educators while experiencing the places that shaped the founder of the Society of Jesus.

"The Camino Ignaciano, designed in 2010 by Fr. José Luis Iriberri, SJ, has brought hundreds of pilgrims from across the country to the sites significant in St. Ignatius of Loyola's life. Over the course of 10 days, our group walked many miles to and through Loyola, Javier, Verdú, Montserrat, Manresa, and Barcelona. It was a beautiful, spiritually enriching experience.

Fr. Iriberri helped make the life of Ignatius real and relevant to our schools. And, of course, it was a joy to walk alongside fellow Jesuit educators who experience the same struggles and triumphs we do at Prep. I'll be thinking about this experience for a long time, and I'm grateful I had the opportunity to participate."

The Camino Ignaciano offered Georgetown Prep's educators an opportunity to deepen their understanding of Ignatian spirituality while strengthening their connection to the Jesuit mission that guides the school's work of forming young men as leaders and Men for and with Others.