Young adults pilgrimage with One Foot Raised

This month’s eNews coincides with the feast day of St Ignatius of Loyola on 31 July.

St Ignatius discerned a call to religious life, leaving his desire for fame and glory as a military leader behind to found, together with a small group of companions, the Society of Jesus, thus beginning their almost five-hundred-year commitment to walk with the marginalised.

To mark the end of the Ignatian Year (2021-2022), the annual ‘Ignatian Camino’—a pilgrimage for young adults, took place from 26 June to 3 July.

Led by Fr Sacha Bermudez-Goldman SJ and Danusia Kaska, the group of 15 young adults partnered with Jesuit Mission by signing up for our new supporter event One Foot Raised.

One Foot Raised challenges participants to walk and raise funds for Jesuit Mission’s overseas projects using a peer-to-peer online platform.

From following in the footsteps of the first Australian Jesuits, the group drove to South Australia and then walked 125km over six days (an average of 21km/day) from Gawler to Sevenhill, where they collectively raised over $2,400 for Jesuit Mission.

“The group walked together as a faith community, enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation, reflected on daily themes and engaged in rich liturgies and sharing at the end of each day,” said Fr Sacha.

St Ignatius himself described the ideal leader as living with ‘one foot raised’, moving always into new lands and new cultures, ready to step forward and respond to human need and suffering in the world. 

We walk because Ignatius walked, we walk because Jesuit Missionaries walk alongside the marginalised and we walk because many children in Jesuit Mission supported schools walk long distances each day to gain a quality education.

Your participation in One Foot Raised can provide hope and opportunity to communities in desperate need. Walk in solidarity with the vulnerable communities we serve, who walk great distances to access education, water and healthcare.

If you would still like to donate or participate in One Foot Raised, sign up at onefootraised.org.au

First Spiritual Exercises - Prayer of Radical Transformation

Let us join together in the Prayer of Radical Transformation written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.