August: most Jesuit students dread the thought of it. As temperatures hit their peak, so does anxiety: the anxiety of alarms buzzing early in the morning, the anxiety of heavy backpacks slung on shoulders, the anxiety that summer is reaching its end and school is fast approaching. For a lot of Jesuit students, band camp is starting, two-a-days are starting, and the carefree aspirations of summer must be left behind until next year.
However, for a select few, the month of August brings excitement, anticipation, and new adventures. Specifically, 23 lucky sophomores, juniors, and seniors, along with Mr. John Nugent, S. J.; Mr. Quang Tran, S. J.; and Dr. Joe Ryan, eagerly awaited August this summer because its arrival would bring the pinnacle of their summers, a two week trip to Spain. Along with experiencing Europe, these fortunate Rangers would both visit Ignatian landmarks in Spain and attend World Youth Day in Madrid, headlined by a papal mass with Pope Benedict XVI.
As the morning of Wednesday, August 10, 2011, arrives, these 26 enthused pilgrims hop aboard an American Airlines flight out of DFW. With stops in New York and eventually Barcelona and a flight netting approximately 11 hours, most grabbed a blanket and pillow and got comfortable for the long flight. Yet, that did not stop some of them, namely Nick Thompson ’12, from making fashion statements, even preserving relaxation.
Ignatian Pilgrimage: Week 1 of the Spanish Experience:
Alas, by the time the Rangers’ feet hit Spanish ground, it was already the morning of August 11, with a fully scheduled day ahead to begin their Ignatian Pilgrimage. Bobby Valek ’12 commented that “the jet lag was so bad, I felt like I’d been hit by a bus.” If that wasn’t enough, the whole day was spent touring Barcelona and entertaining all of the sights. “I think the only thing keeping people awake was the magnificent architecture surrounding us,” said Brendan O’Brien ’12. One of the highlights of Barcelona’s architecture was the work of Antoni Gaudí. The Jesuit pilgrims toured Gaudí’s work both the first day of the trip in the city and the last day before the flight home near the beach. “It’s like someone took the work of Tim Burton and made a building out of it,” said Nick Thompson ’12. Though abstract and often strange, Gaudí’s works still caught the pilgrims’ eyes.
During the following week, the Rangers slowly made their way to Madrid for World Youth Day with the Pope, “walking in the footsteps of Ignatius along the way” as Mr. Nugent elegantly commented. On this weeklong journey, Jesuit students moved from one Ignatian landmark to the next, seeing everywhere from Montserrat to Manresa to Javier and finally to Loyola. Through it all, the Dallas Jesuit group was paired with other Jesuit high school students from New Orleans and Tampa Bay, often seeing them at these Ignatian sights. Fortunately, Dallas Jesuit was reunited with one of its own, Father Paddie Hough, S. J, who now resides at Jesuit New Orleans.
On this pilgrimage, students started in Montserrat, where the Virgin of Montserrat, the Virgin Mary and infant Christ (right), appeared to St. Ignatius, and where the latter decided, famously, to lay down his sword. Next, the pilgrims visited Manresa, where St. Ignatius stayed for a year after his Montserrat experience and wrote his famous spiritual exercises. After Manresa, the Rangers voyaged to Javier, the hometown of St. Ignatius’s right hand man, St. Francis Xavier. Finally, these pilgrims visited St. Ignatius’s own hometown, Loyola, the site of his life-changing conversion experience. For many students, the castle at Loyola was very powerful; it was Will Keffler ’12 who said, “It was amazing knowing that in that very room St. Ignatius decided to renew his life and serve Jesus Christ.”
Mr. Tran summed up his Ignatian pilgrimage saying, “Visiting the Ignatian sites was amazing, but what touched me even more deeply was to see the students’ reverence and prayerfulness.”
World Youth Day: Week 2 of the Spanish Experience
Arriving at World Youth Day on August 15, the Dallas kids became Madrid kids. They showed up to a local parish in Madrid, which would serve as their home for the next week. Senior Michael Scanlin, referred to as “Dirty Mike” by his companions on the journey, likened the boys’ situation to a “Soup Kitchen.”
The next day the Rangers hit the town and not only viewed the city of Madrid but also met with the 1.5 million young Catholics beginning to flood into the festival. From Australia to Africa to Europe to Canada, young Catholics from around the globe gathered in Madrid to celebrate their faith, proving to Mr. Nugent and many others that “Catholicism is truly universal as its name implies.” Furthermore, Mr. Tran commented, “Amidst all the negativity and scandals surrounding the Catholic Church, it was encouraging to see 1.5 million Catholic people cheering along with the Pope.”
Throughout the week, Jesuit students attended Catecheses, educational instructions, led by bishops from Canada and Chicago to reaffirm their faith and answer questions they had. Furthermore, students attended mass each day, as they did on the Ignatian Pilgrimage. They also shared company with the Pope, listening to his speeches and watching as he processed through Madrid.
The pinnacle of World Youth Day came for many on the last two days, when all 1.5 million young Catholics crammed into Madrid’s airport landing strip. Some with tents, some with sleeping bags, and some with none of the above, the Pope’s youth arrived to a situation that Dr. Ryan considered something of a “refugee camp.” If that wasn’t enough, the heavens opened and rain began to pour. While most other World Youth Day groups took cover under tents and shelters, the Jesuit students faced the rain head on. Breaking into patriotic chants, these headstrong but slightly obtuse Rangers confirmed certain American stereotypes. Unfortunately, many students returned from Spain coughing.
Finally, after a brutal night, Jesuit studenst awoke and found the nearest video monitor. Along with the other 1.5 million young Catholics, Jesuit students stood, sat, and kneeled in reverence and awe as the Pope celebrated a mass for them. “It’s really cool to be able to say that I actually attended a mass celebrated by the Pope!” said Eric Futscher ’13.
Photography by Brendan O’Brien ’12 and Dr. Joseph Ryan
