WYD-2011 - Young Adult Catholic Heritage Excursions

Pastoral leaders seek opportunities to combine participation in World Youth Day 2011 - Madrid with visits to venues that help young adult Catholics connect with their heritage, learn about the life and times of visionary men and women of faith, and broaden perspectives about other lands, peoples and traditions. Illume collaborates with young adult leaders to design programs that foster education, nurture faith, build community and broaden horizons. A sample of thematic programs includes:

In the Footsteps of St. Dominic

In the beginning of the 13th century, St. Dominic traveled with his Bishop from Osma, Spain to the south of France to preach against the Albigensian heresy. During this time, he founded the first institute for Dominican religious women at Prouille. There are many cities in the region that evoke the life and times of Dominic, providing an excellent opportunity to explore a visionary man who sought to persuade and convert through preaching rather than force. Young Catholics will be introduced to the spirit of Dominic, learn about his vision for inspiring growth and change, and explore the heritage of the Dominican intellectual and pastoral traditions in cities of rich historical and religious significance.

5-night program highlights include Toulouse, Prouille, Carcassone, Montsegur, Lourdes and Burgos. Contact us for details.

In the Footsteps of St. Ignatius

St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491 in the north of Spain at the family castle of Loyola and, during a pilgrimage to the great monastery of Montserrat, had a spiritual transformation. He spent the next year or two nearby at Manresa where he wrote the Spiritual Exercises. After studying in Barcelona, Salamanca and Paris (where he founded the Society of Jesus), he and his companions traveled to Rome and put themselves at the service of the Pope. These early Jesuits founded institutions that became central to the revitalization of Catholic life and spirituality in the 16th and 17th centuries. This program includes visits to the places of his spiritual calling and childhood. Young people will be introduced to the rich spiritual tradition of Ignatius, to the reforming institutions of the Jesuits, and to the inspiring spiritual sites that moved this young man to offer his life to God and to the Church.

6-night program highlights include Barcelona, Montserrat, Manresa, Xavier, Loyola and Burgos. Contact us for details.

Healing the Soul and Nurturing Faith: A Pilgrimage to Lourdes and Castille

Lourdes is one of the great pilgrimage destinations of the world. Millions come to this site to seek healing in the waters of the grotto and renew their faith through the message of the Virgin Mary to St. Bernadette. A visit here by young adult Catholics will both introduce and reinforce Marian devotions, allow them to explore part of the Catholic heritage associated with spiritual healing, and provide a moving context for prayer and reflection. En route to Madrid, there are a number of Catholic heritage sites in Castille that provide great venues for connecting with other faith-building sites – such as the great sanctuary dedicated to St. Ignatius in Loyola (his birthplace), Burgos (great Catholic heritage site in Castille), and Santo Domingo de Silos (historic monastery made famous by the recordings of the monks’ chants)

5-night program highlights include Lourdes, Loyola, Burgos and Santo Domingo de Silos. Contact us for details.

A Pilgrimage to Fatima and Avila

Fatima is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in the Catholic world, a site that preserves the memory and message of the Blessed Mother who spoke to three shepherd children and launched a renewed devotion to the Rosary and prayer for the spiritual renewal of the 20th century. Young people who travel here will learn about the apparitions of Mary, the messages she shared with the young children, and the role Fatima has had in the spirituality of contemporary Roman Catholicism. This program includes visits to the historic city of Salamanca, one of the earliest universities in Europe, and Avila, home to St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.

6-night program highlights include Lisbon, Fatima, Ciudad Rodrigo or Salamanca, and Avila. Contact us for details.

The Way of the Pilgrim: Fatima and Santiago de Compostela

Fatima is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in the Catholic world, a site that preserves the memory and message of the Blessed Mother who spoke to three shepherd children and launched a renewed devotion to the Rosary and prayer for the spiritual renewal of the 20th century. Santiago de Compostela, site of the tomb of James the Apostle, was second only to Rome as a pilgrimage destination for Europeans for centuries. The famous Camino de Santiago – a route pilgrims took from all parts of Europe to this historic site – continues to be a popular spiritual walk for modern pilgrims. This program combines a visit to Fatima and Santiago, stopping in Leon (on the Camino de Santiago) en route for Madrid.

6-night program highlights include Lisbon, Fatima, Bom Monte de Jesu, Santiago de Compostela, and Leon. Contact us for details.

Mosques-Synagogues-Cathedrals: The Heritage of Three Faiths in Spain

The reconquest of Spain by the Catholic monarchs – Isabella and Ferdinand – marked a definitive achievement of religious hegemony in the Iberian peninsula. Prior to this time, there were periods of relative interfaith respect and interaction in certain locales – particularly in Toledo, Cordoba and Granada. The fervor of the reconquest launched missionary voyages to the Americas and ignited a passionate and devout Spanish Catholicism. This program provides an illuminating window into this pivotal moment in history, visiting cities where rich interaction between Catholics, Jews and Muslims took place. Visits include great Catholic sites – such as the magnificent cathedrals in Seville and Toledo, the great Mezquita in Cordoba and the Alhambra Palace in Granada, and historic synagogues in Toledo. The program envisions both an exploration of Catholic heritage and an invitation to develop a respectful interfaith sensitivity, learning about other religious traditions, beliefs and practices.

6-night program highlights include Seville, Cordoba, Granada, and Toledo. Contact us for details.

Mystics and Scholars of Spain: Salamanca and Avila

Two of the greatest mystical writers of the Church were St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. Both were declared “Doctors” of the Church, Teresa being the first woman to be so declared. They lived at a time of great spiritual and religious renewal in the 16th century. This was also a time of great theological development – led by great scholars in universities such as Salamanca (one of the oldest in Europe). Travel to this region provides young adult Catholics an opportunity to explore the intellectual and mystical traditions of the 16th century, visiting cities that continue to evoke the spirit and vision of these great scholars and mystics.

5-night program highlights include Avila, Segovia, Salamanca, Alba de Tormes and other options. Contact us for details.

Cradle of Iberian Spirituality - Barcelona and Nearby Monasteries

Barcelona was founded by the Phoceans and expanded in size and importance under the Romans whose ruins are still visible under the main center of town. In medieval times, the town seized control of much of the Catalan region and, with growing trade, built many magnificent churches using a distinctive Gothic style. There are a number of monasteries and shrines nearby which have exerted considerable influence on the popular devotions and piety of Spanish people – namely Montserrat, Poblet and Sates Creus. Near Montserrat is the famous cave at Manresa where St. Ignatius wrote much of the Spiritual Exercises.

For young Catholics coming to WYD 2011, the region offers a great opportunity to explore one of the most dynamic and vibrant cities in Spain, visiting its iconic church – “The Sagrada Familia” – and making pilgrimage to several of the nearby monasteries.

4-night program highlights include Barelona, Montserrat (and Manresa), Poblet (and Santes Creus) and other options. Contact us for details.

Roots of Roman Catholic Heritage - Portugal

Portugal offers young Catholics a great opportunity to explore their faith heritage in sites such as Lisbon, Fatima, Coimbra and other sites where visionary men and women of faith gave witness to the Gospel and forged important traditions and institutions to sustain faith. Lisbon is the birthplace of St. Anthony and includes a number of inspiring religious sites including the Cathedral, the Church of St. Anthony and the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos as well as other historical sites such as the Castelo Sao Jorge. Fatima is one of the most visited Catholic shrines in Europe, celebrating the revelations of the Blessed Mother to the three children there. Coimbra is birthplace of six Portuguese kings and site of one of the oldest universities in Europe. Nearby are the ruins of Conimbriga – an old Roman colony. Other sites of interest en route to or from Madrid include Guarda with its spectacular cathedral and Santarem – a city with a rich history as both a Roman town, a Moorish town and one devoted to popular Catholic devotions at churches such as Seminario, Marvila, and Santissimo Milagre (where tradition honors a miracle in which a wafer of the blessed sacrament miraculously transformed into blood).

4-night program highlights include Lisbon, Fatima, Coimbra, and Guarda. Contact us for details.

Roots of Roman Catholic Heritage - Rome and Assisi

Rome offers young adult Catholics an unparalleled opportunity to explore the origins of the Christian faith and to experience its continuity and development over the centuries. The greatest concentration of early Christian sites in the world exists in Rome – with access to early meeting places and house churches, early Christian cemeteries and sarcophagi, and 4th century basilicas built under the patronage of Constantine. Throughout the city of Rome, young adult Catholics can explore the development of Christian art and architecture and see how the Church has responded to various challenges and opportunities through the ages. In Italy – places such as Assisi, Siena, Padua and other towns allow pilgrims to walk in the footsteps of visionary men and women of faith.

3- and 4-night program highlights include St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican Museums, Colosseum and Roman Forum, Catacombs and St. Paul's, an excursion to Assisi to visit San Franceso, Santa Chiara and San Damiano, and other early Christian/Catholic sites in Rome -with flight from Rome to Madrid. Contact us for details.