Ignatius 500
2021-2022 is an important anniversary for Manresa as it marks five hundred years since Ignatius of Loyola went to the town of Manresa in Catalunya. An ‘Ignatian Year’ began on Thursday 20 May 2021 - the anniversary of Ignatius' injury at Pamplona - running to Sunday 31 July 2022, the feast of Saint Ignatius. A highpoint of the celebration was Saturday 12 March 2022, the fourth centenary of the canonisation of Ignatius and Francis Xavier.
Ignatius 500
A variety of online and in-person events celebrate Ignatius 500, with many recordings and resources available online. you can find out what is happening in your area by consulting the Jesuits.global website
May this Ignatian Year
help us to know Jesus poor and humble,
to love him more dearly,
and follow him more closely.
Prayer for the Ignatian Year
Loving God,
We come before you asking for your special grace
as we go through the year dedicated to the memory
of the conversion of Saint Ignatius.
We remember the battle of Pamplona,
the bravery of Ignatius, his recklessness,
his ability to relate to his comrades.
We remember his wound; his broken dreams; his apparent failure;
the vulnerability of his health; his return to Loyola
and the long days of soul-searching to try to and his way in life,
finally surrendering his life to you
as he listened to your voice speaking to him
through his reading, his dreams,
his prayers and his imagination.
We remember his journey to Manresa; his inner struggles;
his desire to reach out to others,
helping souls to discover the consolation of your Risen Son.
We ask, Lord, that you renew, also today, Ignatius’ spirit in us.
May we grow closer to his total trust in the Holy Spirit,
following him faithfully,
neither running ahead nor falling behind.
May we make our own his ability to discern,
his courage, his vulnerability, his search for companionship;
his openness to young people
and his desire to share with them his wisdom.
May we learn from his fearlessness in going forward
even if it means, sometimes, making mistakes.
Grant, Lord, that we may be one with his apostolic zeal and
full of love for this beautiful but broken world.
Help us, Lord to set aside our narrow views, our preconceptions of
ourselves, of each other, of our world and to see everything with new eyes.
Help us to live ever more deeply the Ignatian charism
of seeing all things new in Christ,
of seeing Your grace at work, even in darkness and su ffering.
May this Ignatian Year help us to know Jesus poor and humble,
to love him more dearly, and follow him more closely.
We ask the intercession of Our Lady of the Way.
May she help us journey with your son, Jesus,
putting our hand in his,
stepping out, every day, into the world
with a sense of adventure, of love and hop e.
Amen.