U.S. Jesuit Chaperone and Students Discuss What Magis 2011 is All About
The 3,000 Magis pilgrims have now fanned out across Spain, Portugal and North Africa for their 100 unique Magis experiences. In small groups of about 25, the experience teams are composed of people from different countries which gives the pilgrims an opportunity to work with people from other cultures and backgrounds and who share in their faith.
The 100 experiences range from working amongst the poor, with immigrants, traveling along a religious pilgrimage “camino” or volunteering with the infirm. Accompanying the pilgrims are Jesuit chaperones like scholastic Michael Rossman, who is currently in his First Studies as a Jesuit at Loyola University Chicago, and is chaperoning a group of pilgrims from Marquette University.
Before they departed from Loyola, Rossman and three Marquette students shared what Magis 2011 is all about.
Jesuit Father General Celebrates Mass and Meets with the Magis 2011 Pilgrims
Magis 2011 officially started on Friday, August 5 with an opening ceremony on the grounds of the Sanctuary of Loyola in Azkoitia, Spain. More than 3,000 young people from 50 different countries gathered together on the grounds of the Sanctuary of Loyola where they were welcomed in their own official language and treated to a performance with dance, music, light and special effects. The performance, given by group of Jesuits and lay people from Portugal, was based on the Meditation on the Two Standards, a fight between good and evil. During the night prayer that followed this performance, the reading told of God calling Abraham to leave his home and begin his journey. Prayer finished at midnight with a procession of torches carried by young people from different parts of the world. You can view this video to see a summary of the opening events from that evening.
The next morning, pilgrims woke up to a morning prayer in different languages in the garden. The Magis 2011 coordinator, Jesuit Father Abel Toraño, delivered a speech to the young people giving thanks “to all the people who have been doing so much to make MAGIS come to reality.” He asked the young people “to be open to an encounter with ourselves, with others and with God during this weekend in the hometown of Saint Ignatius”.
Today, around 3,500 people attended Mass celebrated by Jesuit Father General Adolfo Nicolás, leader of the Society of Jesus, in the plaza of the Sanctuary of Loyola. The pilgrims celebrated this special Eucharist before being sent forth to their experiences, which will start tomorrow in more than 100 locations across Spain and Portugal. During his homily, Fr. General evoked the founder of the Society of Jesus in this significant place: “God is in the gentle breeze, in its peace and its refreshing calm. And Saint Ignatius tries to make us sensitive to that breeze, to the soft voice of God.” He also wanted to send a message to all the young pilgrims before they left on their experiences tomorrow, “If we are only worried about our welfare or success, we will sink helplessly. If we are worried about service and the suffering of others, where Christ lives… we will walk on the sea.” After Mass, Fr. General, accompanied by all the concelebrants, prayed in the Chapel of Conversion of St Ignatius.
Later, in an afternoon press conference, he highlighted the role of young people in facing the challenges of this globalized world. “The young people are the ones who can change our world”, but they need to be ready “to answer questions that we cannot even imagine,” Nicolás said. “As information increases, the capacity for reflection decreases”. Fr. General encouraged them to have “profound feelings”. He insisted that every person must find his/her own vocation, own path and own way to serve. According to Fr. General, if you find it, you will be what the world needs and you will be happy – and both things are important. The big challenge that young people face today is to fight against “the globalization of superficiality.” To counteract that, young people must choose to live with wisdom and depth. “Think about Ignatius and how he changed his dreams. He stopped dreaming the dreams of a small valley and started dreaming dreams of the world. Go and do the same,” Nicolás encouraged the pilgrims gathered to hear his press conference.
From there, the pilgrims set off for their 10 days across Spain and Portugal for their Magis experiences. There are six types of experiences: Pilgrimage, Social Service, Art and Creativity, Faith and Culture, Spirituality, and Ecology. These include visiting Fatima, volunteering in a prison, accompanying marginalized families, serving pilgrims at Lourdes and restoring a hermitage.
The video below showcases this last day in Loyola before the pilgrims were sent off by Jesuit Father General Adolfo Nicolás:
Magis 2011 begins today at the Sanctuary of Loyola
For the pilgrims arriving in Loyola today to begin their Magis experience, this is just the start of their 10 days of being “with Christ at the heart of the world.”
For the Magis volunteers, coordinators, Jesuits, lay partners and organizers, Magis 2011 has been over a year of planning, preparing and practicing. It has all been leading up to this day.
Pilgrims and Their Jesuit Chaperones Headed to Spain for Magis 2011
Over 200 young people from Jesuit schools across the United States are getting set to join their Jesuit chaperones and hundreds of other young people from Jesuit schools across the globe for this year’s Magis 2011 in Spain.
The events kick off this Friday at the birthplace of the founder of the Jesuits, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and from there pilgrims disperse across Spain and Portugal for their week-long experiences as diverse as volunteering in a prison, accompanying marginalized families, serving pilgrims at Lourdes or restoring a hermitage. There are six types of experiences: Pilgrimage, Social Service, Art and Creativity, Faith and Culture, Spirituality and Ecology. Almost 100 experiences are planned.
After, the Magis pilgrims will join back together in Madrid along with hundreds of thousands of others who are there for the World Youth Day 2011 festivities.
But, before their three week pilgrimage in Spain can begin, the pilgrims need to pack! Since accommodations will include roughing it across the country while staying in dormitories and even camping outdoors, the pilgrims are expected to carry what they need only in a backpack.
Marquette University student Emma Scuglik is taking us along on her travels to Spain. In the video below, she shares her excitement with us as she packs for Spain and tries to figure out how she is going to fit everything she needs for a three week trip into just one backpack.
What is Magis?
Magis is a pastoral experience of Ignatian programs and events in the days leading up to World Youth Day for pilgrims from Jesuit institutions. The motto for this year’s Magis is “with Christ at the heart of the world.” The dates for Magis are August 5 – 15, 2011 and will be held in locations across Spain and Portugal.
Organized by the Society of Jesus and other institutions, the Magis initiative gets its name from the Jesuit phrase meaning “the more.” The roots of the phrase come from St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, who encouraged those who follow Christ to examine their ability to do more for him and, in turn, for others. It is an expression of an aspiration and inspiration and is a tenet of Ignatian Spirituality.
This year’s Magis initiative will particularly resonate with Jesuits, their partners and those with an interest in Ignatian Spirituality as it’s taking place in the birthplace, homeland and at the sites where St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, underwent his spiritual conversion which ultimately led to the formation of the Society of Jesus and his writings of The Spiritual Exercises.
The Magis initiative was started in 1997 before the World Youth Day held in Paris, France. In 2005, in Cologne, Germany it was called Magis for the first time. In 2008, Magis was celebrated in Sydney, Australia and in 2011 it will be celebrated in Madrid in the days leading up to World Youth Day.
To learn more about Magis 2011, visit www.magis2011.org.
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