Each step along the Camino Ignaciano invited ten Blue Jays deeper into the story of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and deeper into their own journeys of faith.

This summer, ten Blue Jays reached an important milestone in Boston College’s AMDG Program as they embarked on the Camino Ignaciano pilgrimage through northern Spain. Accompanied by President Fr. John Brown, S.J., program moderator Paul Hatty, and chaperone Jon Orillion ’01, the students walked 107.6 miles from Loyola to Manresa, retracing the path of St. Ignatius’ conversion before concluding their pilgrimage in Barcelona. Along the way, they encountered opportunities for prayer, reflection, fellowship, and spiritual growth at many of the places that shaped the founder of the Society of Jesus.

“This trip is just the beginning of a larger story in our lives.”

– senior Jude Schiro

The pilgrimage builds upon a year of formation that began with Ever to Excel, a summer institute at Boston College introducing students to Ignatian spirituality and leadership. Throughout the year, the cohort continued its journey through monthly formation meetings, Grace at the Green Light service opportunities, and an AMDG retreat rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Together, these experiences prepared the students not only for the physical challenge of the Camino, but also for the deeper invitation to encounter Christ through prayer, discernment, and community.

More than a walk across Spain, the Camino Ignaciano invited students to experience the story of St. Ignatius as a living call to know Christ more deeply and to respond with generous hearts. Through daily prayer, celebration of the Eucharist, and shared experiences along the pilgrimage, the journey strengthened both their faith and the friendships formed within the cohort.

“The opportunity to go on this pilgrimage with our students was a great experience we will never forget,” said Hatty. “Walking through the way of Ignatius’s journey from the conversion chapel in Azpeitia to the cave in Montserrat was something that will stick with the entire group for the rest of our lives. I particularly enjoyed the moments of prayer and fellowship we had along the way. Whether it was praying the Rosary on our walks or celebrating Mass in many breathtaking locations, the opportunities for spiritual growth were plentiful.”

Hatty also expressed gratitude to Fr. Casey Beaumier, Matthew Schweitzer, William Healy, Evan Mansour, and the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies at Boston College for creating the AMDG Program, as well as to Fr. Brown, Principal Dr. Jeremy Reuther ’01, and school leadership for making the opportunity possible for Blue Jays.

A Pilgrimage of Faith and Friendship

For many students, the pilgrimage became far more than a walk across Spain. Senior Jude Schiro reflected that every stage of the AMDG Program had prepared the group to embrace both the physical and spiritual challenges of the Camino.

“Throughout this journey, I learned a lot about myself and strived to do better. This pilgrimage is known to change lives, and it did for me. My outlook on everything is a little different because of this pilgrimage.”

Schiro described seeing God revealed not only through Spain’s natural beauty and sacred places, but also through the friendships formed within the group. Shared challenges strengthened relationships and fostered a deeper understanding of faith, leadership, and service.

“The walk was a challenge at times, but through this we saw God’s creation through the nature and people of Spain. The group was exhausted at the end of the walk, but something was born in that moment. We achieved a level of friendship that exceeds most. We also received a better example of how God works with us to make us a better person, and this trip is just the beginning of a larger story in our lives.”

“When a tourist visits, the evidence is that another destination has been checked off the bucket list. The journey is finished with no need to return. For a pilgrim, the experience is completely different.”

– Fr. John Brown, S.J.

Pilgrims, Not Tourists

That same spirit of pilgrimage resonated with Fr. Brown, who reflected on the difference between simply visiting sacred places and truly journeying through them as a pilgrim.

“When a tourist visits the pyramids of Egypt or the Eiffel Tower in France, the crescendo moment can seem like the posed photograph: the proof that the tourist was there, the evidence that another destination has been checked off the bucket list. The journey is finished with no need to return.

“For a pilgrim, the experience is completely different. The pyramids still inspire awe, though the religion that raised them has passed into history. The Eiffel Tower remains a triumph of nineteenth-century engineering. But the great destinations of pilgrimage are not merely memories of what once was. They remain alive with the prayers of believers, both heavenly and earthly.”

One moment along the Camino particularly illustrated that distinction. While visiting the ancient Roman ruins of Caesaraugusta in Zaragoza, the group toured an ancient latrine bearing the graffiti CACATOR CAVE MALUM—a crude reminder, Fr. Brown noted, that some aspects of human nature have changed very little in two thousand years. Just a few hundred feet away, however, the students celebrated Mass in the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, where tradition holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. James the Apostle. There, an inscription proclaims, HIC EST LOCUS UBI STETERUNT PEDES SANCTAE MARIAE—“This is the place where the feet of Holy Mary stood.”

For Fr. Brown, the contrast between the two sites became one of the pilgrimage’s most powerful lessons.

“The memorial to Our Lady’s appearance stands in contrast to tourist attractions and ancient archaeological sites. It is a reminder of what truly lasts—praise for the One True God, reverence for a faith ever ancient and ever new, and a devoted servant’s pilgrimage following the saints who walked before us.”

The Camino marks an important milestone in the AMDG journey, but not its conclusion. As these Blue Jays return to Carrollton & Banks, they begin the second year of the program, carrying with them a deeper understanding of Ignatian spirituality and a renewed commitment to serve as leaders in faith, service, and reflection. As Schiro observed, the pilgrimage is “just the beginning of a larger story,” one that will continue to shape these young men as they grow in faith and leadership.

The journey also begins for a new group of Blue Jays. On August 2, seventeen students will travel to Boston College for Ever to Excel, taking the first step in their own two-year AMDG journey of leadership, discernment, and spiritual formation.

For the current cohort, the Camino was never simply about reaching a destination in Spain. It was about answering God’s invitation to continue a lifelong pilgrimage of faith. As one group enters the second year of the AMDG Program and another prepares to take its first steps, the journey continues, forming Blue Jays who seek to find God in all things and respond generously to His call.

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Current AMDG Cohort (2025-26)

Seniors:

• Gareth Berner
• Chase Cooper
• Evan Morgan
• Duke Nitcher
• Isaac Orillion
• Calvin Magee
• John Martello
• Owen Truxillo
• Robert Schiaffino
• Jude Schiro

Incoming AMDG Cohort (2026-27)

Juniors:

• Anthony Amadeo
• Brady Carriere
• Carson Waltz
• James Ganucheau
• Joseph Bertucci
• Jacob Klibert
• Jackson Landry
• Trey Ross
• Christopher Jennings
• Ben Neff
• Holden Roubion
• Austin Guedry
• A.J. Centner
• Will Truxillo
• Hudson Villacorta
• Mani Vandenweghe
• Michael Frey