From Fatima to Montserrat

In Conclusion

2010-07-01T17:41:00.001-07:00

1. Grateful: Every second of this pilgrimage was a blessing.

2. Pilgrims: Yes, Spain, Portugal and France were amazing, but my fellow pilgrims were even more amazing.

3. Hard Work: Going on a pilgrimage is not your typical vacation. We worked hard! We woke up every day between 5:45 and 6:00 AM and laid our heads down around midnight. This journey stretched my mind, body and spirit. This trip was eat, pray and love, yes – but a little more strenuous, in the sense that we had a tight schedule every day.

4. Take it up a notch: I’m inspired to do the pilgrimage to Santiago by foot or bike but don’t know if my knee can handle... then again, if St. Ignatius could do it…

5. I believe! I now believe in things that I never really thought I could ever believe in before.

6. WIFI. To charge for wifi at a hotel is a rip-off. I refused to pay for internet, so my blog was a tad bit delayed because many hotels either did not have wifi or charged an arm and a leg; nevertheless, hostels or two star hotels tended to have it for free!

7. Fruits: The fruits from this trip have already been seen and I’m sure that the best is yet to come.

8. Marianology: I have developed a deep interested in learning more about the history of the apparitions of Mary in Spain and their relationship to Spanish cultural history.

9. It’s never too late.

10. Pay attention.

Zaragoza Surreal

2010-07-01T14:32:00.001-07:00

Por fin llegamos a la cima de las torres del Pilar, con la pata jorobada, pero llegamos.

The Virgin of the Pillar, Spain's Patron Virgin, is located in the city of Zaragoza (capital of the autonomous community of Aragon).

The Virgin of the Pillar is considered to be the first Marian temple in Christianity.

One undeniable fact about Zaragoza, which I wasn't expecting, was the pronounced Islamic influence in its design and architecture.

In fact, it was a capital city of an Islamic kingdom during Islam's rule over Spain (711 - 1492).

Touristic pamphlets also boast that the area of Zaragoza is the oldest civilization found in the valley of the Ebro River. This area was populated by Iberians.

During the Roman Empire this city was called Caesaragusta.

40 -- Just when he started to get very frustrated, the Blessed Mother appeared to St. James on top of a pillar carried by angels on January 2 in this place. She encouraged him to keep on.

714 -- Zaragoza fell into the hands of Sarraceno Mussa Ibn Nusair. The city's name was changed to Medina Al-baina Saraqusta

788 -- The Bano Qasi of the Lerida region of Spain transformed Zaragoza into their capital

1118 -- Zaragoza is taken over by Christians and it becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon

Besides entering the Basilica where the Virgin sits on top of her pillar, we also toured La Seo, the neighboring church which really blew my mind. To witness the overwhelming amount of artistry here was definitely worth the 6 euro entrance fee.

During the early evening (it doesn't get dark in Spain until 10 pm) we walked around the city window-shopping. I also stopped in the Pablo Gargallo museum while my parents patiently waited in the plaza watching yet another wedding party.

Before returning to the hotel, we watched the US vs. England World Cup soccer game in an Irish pub.

The Basilica looks surreal at night with its glittering yellow, blue and white tiles against the black sky. It was a picture that I could have only imagined in my dreams.

Murals by Minguell

2010-07-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

After we kissed our fellow pilgrims good-bye in Barcelona, my parents and I continued to Bilbao. Along the way we made three stops:

(1) Tarrega (Lerida);
(2) Zaragoza and;
(3) Vitoria.

We stopped in Tarrega to visit two friends: Arantxa Loizu Lecinena and Josep Minguell Cardenyes.

Thanks to Arantxa, whom I met nearly 10 years ago as a graduate student at the University of Virginia, I was introduced to Josep and his art.

It was wonderful to return to the church (Santa Maria de L'Alba) where I first met Josep last summer with my parents so they could witness his genius for themselves.

Last April (2010), I invited Josep to the University of Hawaii for a week-long symposium on the language of muralism. He painted a moveable mural and conducted several lectures.

Josep Minguell Cardenyes (Tarrega, 1959)
Painted his first fresco at age 35. Rediscovered God at 36.

For more info please see:

http://www.josepminguell.com/

http://www.latinramen.com/2010_04_11_archive.html

http://uhmanoacampustalk.honadvblogs.com/tag/dr-josep-minguell/

http://blog.hawaii.edu/campustalk/2010/04/page/2/

http://www.kalamakua.org/2010/04/if-these-walls-could-talk-day-2.html

Bye Bye Barcelona

2010-06-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

Barcelona's Cathedral

* Construction began in 1298 and continues to this day

* A Roman temple dedicated to Hercules lies underneath the Cathedral

* The facade of the church dates to the 19th century

* Building stopped between the 13 - 19th century due to lack of funds as a result of the "discovery" of America.

* One of the consequences of "discovering" the New World was that trade routes shifted from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, thus affecting Barcelona's role as a port city.

* Patron (female) Saint of Barcelona: St. Eulalia

* We were told by our guide that St. Eulalia is the first martyr of Christianity. She refused to worship Agustus. As a result, she was scourged and crucified outside of the city walls. Her bones lie under the high altar is an elaborately carved coffin raised on columns.

So happy the sun came out to play.
(When does it rain in June in Barcelona?)

Glad you got to see her full glory.
Miss you all so much already!

God Bless
Peace Out

Hasta la proxima
Baby

Grand Finale

2010-06-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Mass in the chapel right behind the statue of Montserrat -- this is as good as it gets!

Last Night in Montserrat

2010-06-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

As the level of joy
lifts us up
and over the mountain tops,
so does the density
of the mist persist.
We see not Montserrat,
only feel her
deep in our hearts.

The Cave of Manresa and the Quest for Contemplative Action

2010-06-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

On the way from Montserrat to Manresa, Father Russ spoke to us about the importance of this place for St. Ignatius.

* The confessor of St. Ignatius suggested that he go on a retreat before heading to Jerusalem, so he went to a cave in Manresa which is a small town outside of Barcelona.

* While in Manresa, St. Ignatius volunteers at St. Lucy Hospital. He had a great desire to serve God which he expressed by performing acts of great penance.

* While St. Ignatius had a great desire for holiness, he also noticed that he had a great blindness of the soul.

* While in Manresa, he lets his hair and nails grow long and fasts for one week.

* St. Ignatius asks himself: "What ought I do for Christ?"

* Spends four months in a Dominican House with a great turmoil of spirit (a.k.a. depressed)

* Rather than be so hard on himself, he decides to take it one day at a time. He seeks direction from his friends and confessors

* He hits rock bottom

* Works too hard to become a saint

* Abbot Cisneros, his confessor, advises him to clean-up and asks him to be a man of contemplative action. In other words, he suggests that he act out his faith.

Montserrat: Just Pics

2010-06-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Mystery of Montserrat

2010-06-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

From the moment I stepped on the mountain of Montserrat, my mind has been completely captivated by this very mysterious place -- you can ask my roommate.

When I woke up there the first morning, it was like I had been bitten by a bed bug -- I couldn't stop talking about the place --- and I hadn't even really seen it during daylight yet.

It was just a feeling -- a major feeling -- similar, in strength, to what I felt at Volcano National Park on the Big Island in Hawaii, but even greater.

For your reading pleasure, I have included photographs of descriptions from Montserrat about Montserrat. This is a good place to start learning.

Otherwise, some general facts:

(1) Meaning: In the Catalan language, Montserrat literally means "serrated mountain." Hopefully you can tell by the pictures! (Thanks Dad.)

(2) One Legend: The statue of the black virgin was found in a grotto here in 888 (during the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula).

(3) Relationship to St. Ignatius: The Founder of the Society of Jesus, arrived here in 1522. He exchanged his clothes with a beggar at the door; made an all night vigil in arms in front of the Virgin; left his sword.

(4) Music: This monastery has been considered a cultural center for centuries. A young boys choir called L'Escolania draws hundreds (approaching a thousand) of people every day for their 15 minute chanting at 1:00 P.M. While you might think that they sing in Latin, they actually are singing in Catalan.

(5) Monastic Life: Home to Benedictine monks who have made a vow of silence, except when they get to sing! The constant bell ringing may drive some people crazy, but for me it was very soothing. The total silence of Montserrat may be more likely to drive me crazy rather than the bell tolling.

(6) Natural Park: We saw many people with rock climbing equipment. There are many trails for hiking at all levels of difficulty. If I lived near Barcelona, I would try to go to Montserrat frequently.

(7) Patron Saint: The Black Virgin, or La Moreneta, is the patron (virgin) saint of Catalonia and she has a huge following. On the Wednesday we were there, hundreds of people stood in line for hours to see her up close.

(8) Black Virgin: There are at least three explanations that I heard as to why she is black including: (a) The paint that was used on the wood reacted in such a way with the environment that she turned black; (b) The wood itself turned black; (c) The wood that was used was black which is yet just another example of how the Catalans like to be different.

(9) Fertility: One of my Catalan friends explained that historically newlyweds spent their wedding night in Montserrat since it is a place that has always been associated with fertility.

(10) Value: It is believed that the Virgin of Montserrat may be one of the first depictions of the Virgin Mary carved by St. Luke.

Moving Mountains: Over the Pyrennes Once Again

2010-06-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

And Jesus said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

Suddenly, your life is turned upside-down. Up until now, your life has been pretty wonderful until a cannonball crushes your leg.

You’ve endured three surgeries and a long recovery. While you have been lying in your bed for months staring at the ceiling and the stars, you have had plenty of time for reflection.

There is no Internet, television, movies or radio. Your only distractions are your friends, family, religious books and personal thoughts.

During nine months of convalescence, St. Ignatius underwent a major shift of consciousness. His master was no longer the King of Navarre, but rather the King of the Jews.

The more he contemplated the lives of Saints as he lay in his bed, the more he wanted to become like one of them. His goal was no longer to be a knight in shining armor, but he dreamed of imitating the life of Christ -- like the Saints.

These thoughts apparently accelerated his recovery and once he was well enough to get out of bed, he gathered a small group of people, including one brother and one sister, to accompany him on a journey.

Ignatius says good-bye to his life of luxury near Pamplona in the middle of the summer heat and heads towards Barcelona to embark on a boat headed towards Jerusalem. At least that was his plan.

The more we learn about the journey of St. Ignatius, the more I begin to comprehend how he must have felt...

Certainly, we have been traveling in luxury in comparison to him, but I was jumping out of my saddle, so to speak, as we ascended the mountains of Montserrat.

Down to Earth in Loyola, Spain

2010-06-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

Loyola is the name of a small town where St. Ignatius was born.

Many Jesuit schools in the United States are named after this place in what seems like the middle-of- nowhere-Spain. Maybe for this very reason, Father Russ and Father Steve were surprised to see one of their brothers from Loyola College in Los Angeles, California who was also visiting with a small group of students.

We celebrated mass together in the room where St. Ignatius had his conversion with our new friends, one of whom was a graduate from Punahou High School (Obama’s alma mater) in Honolulu! Even though the priest from LA started the mass by saying that it was “very intimidating” for a priest to give a homily there, Father Steve was super cool, calm and collected. His homily was down to earth. He spoke to us just as he does at the dinner table with a gleaming smile, “More bread?” and twinkling eyes, “How bout some wine?”

After mass, we were lucky enough to witness two weddings in the beautiful basilica while we waited for lunch. As an aside, and as everyone has learned on this trip, the Portuguese, Spaniards and French eat on a very different schedule than Americans. Luckily, the Europeans have been adapting to our schedules; even so, it has required patience.

For instance, no one eats lunch before 2:00 PM or dinner before 9:00 PM. Some pilgrims have found it difficult to wait so long, while our tour company has done a great job finding places to accommodate our eating schedules. When we arrive at restaurants, we are the first ones there, and when we leave, the first locals enter.

In Loyola we arrived so early, that most of the town was still sleeping and we had to wait, again, until the doors of Ignatius’s family home were opened for us. Interestingly, the Society of Jesus has built a museum around the home, as if to protect it, but also to include it as part of the overall complex that includes the gorgeous basilica where we saw the two weddings.

Leaving Lourdes

2010-06-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

Who's That Girl?

2010-06-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Many people are named after towns like those we have visited (Fatima, Javier, and Montserrat). Two of my aunts are named Lourdes. I never knew their names meant something. I just thought it was a pretty name.

Lourdes is a town in France. It is also a place of pilgrimage for Catholics as well as a center for those in search of physical and spiritual healing.

Like the children of Fatima in Portugal, Bernadette was a young girl from a very poor family. Her father was a miller who slowly he lost his wealth, home and status in society.

Luckily, Bernadette’s father had a cousin who offered her family a place to live even though it was not equipped for living. Originally, the structure had been a prison for the Moors and her father’s cousin was using this space as a shelter for his livestock.

Bernadette’s family slept with the animals. Considering how chilly it was in June, the winters here must be terribly cold. Since any roof was better than no roof, Bernadette’s father accepted his cousin’s offer.

Like the children of Fatima, the young Bernadette had to work to help her family. One day, she was gathering firewood with two other young girls, one of which was her sister. They walked a long distance to a place where they could get free sticks from a public property. Here, they could take the wood without paying for it. However, it was also here where the prostitutes worked.

The Blessed Mother appeared only to Bernadette inside a grotto. The other two girls did not witness the apparition. Upon her sister’s instance, Bernadette told her sister about what she saw but asked her to keep it secret. But her sister told their mother about Bernadette’s experience as soon as they got home.

Bernadette’s mother scolded and prohibited her from returning to the grotto. But Bernadette wanted to see that woman again, so she returned. In one year, the Blessed Mother appeared to Bernadette eighteen times.

Already marginalized from society due to her family’s excessive poverty, Bernadette was further ostracized for her behavior in response to these apparitions. Everyone thought she had gone mad, but when she transmitted one message in particular, the town priest was convinced that Bernadette was not lying.

The vision of the Virgin Mary said to Bernadette in her local language (Patois): “Que soy era Immaculada Concepciou.” These complicated words were difficult for her to remember as she ran home to relay the message to the town priest.

She was very scared she would forget these words. She repeated them over and over again until she reached her parish priest. With this message, Bernadette changed the history of this little town in France forever.

Holy Javier!

2010-06-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

The name Javier, in Spanish is Xavier in Basque.

It is the name of a town in Spain.

Thus, Francis Xavier means Francis from the town of Xavier in the Navarre area of Spain.

Just to make things more complicated... Navarre is an autonomous region of Spain, independent from the Basque Country, another autonomous region of Spain!

In Navarre, people consider themselves identified with the culture from either Navarre or the neighboring Basque Country.

We visited the town of Xavier where St. Francis was born into a wealthy family in his parents' home which is castle.

Three things I loved about Xavier:

(1) GEOGRAPHY: The drive from San Sebastian to Xavier during daybreak was spectacular. I wish I had a video camera to capture the changing colors of the fields, watching the fog wrestle with the sun, rolling hills, pastures, wildflowers as we drove through Navarre.

(2) MIRACLE: Xavier's mother knew her son had died when she witnessed the Christ statue in their home cry. Many pilgrims thought this statue had a smile on his face. What do you think?

(3) DESTINY: The simplicity of it all and to imagine someone from the 16th century going from this town in the middle of nowhere Spain to Lisbon, Paris, Rome, Goa, Kyoto, Sri Lanka and Sancian

Some important dates about his life:

1506: Born in Xavier, Navarre

1525: Moved to Paris where he lived for 11 years

1528: Ignatius arrives to Paris. They become roommates

1529: His mother dies

1530: Receives his higher degree

1537: Gets permission from Pope to do missionary work in Asia

1541: Arrives in Goa, India (a colony of Portugal)

1552: Javier dies in China

1556: Ignatius dies in Rome

The Aloha Spirit of San Sebastian

2010-06-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

The drive from the mountaintops of Aránzazu to the coastlines of San Sebastian was quiet. This sonorous word - Aránzazu - would follow us all the way downhill, as the name of our hotel was also Aránzazu.

Never have I heard my name pronounced so many times in one day. It was like an echo or the sounding of church bells all around me: Aránzazu… Aránzazu… Aránzazu.

Many consider San Sebastian to be one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. After this trip, it’s hard to say, because so many cities in Spain are so magnificent. No wonder so many civilizations over hundreds of centuries wanted this land to be all theirs including the Greeks, Romans, French, Berbers, and so forth.

San Sebastian is famous for its cuisine and coastline. After our brief stay, I would add that it’s also worth returning for its superior hospitality. It’s a shame, but service in many of Spain’s other major cities has declined drastically over the years. In the Basque Country, however, there is still a sense of joy and pride when it comes to welcoming tourists, especially in San Sebastian.

The highlight of our brief stay was that my uncle, Javier, and his wife, Pili, drove five hours from Salamanca to have dinner with us. My uncle travels here often, just to eat.

Luckily, he guided us through the maze of the city’s old quarter where going for tapas, or pintxos in Basque, is still practiced with great passion. It was clear that Basques take their food and eating very seriously. Instead of spending a few hours bar-hopping for cocktails, as many do in the States, you hop for pintxos.

The idea of pintxo-hopping is to eat a specialty food at one particular restaurant. For instance, you eat a tempura-like battered shrimp at one place, then fried fish at another. Since you spend at least thirty minutes at each place, if you visit four bars as we did, your outing can take up to two hours easily.

Since you are walking from place to place, then standing at the bars, you end up not eating as much as you normally would if you were sitting at a restaurant, followed by getting in your car to drive home to sit on the couch and watch television. Eating this way not only requires people to keep moving, but it also forces you to talk to one another.

People weren’t texting with one hand while eating pintxos with the other. There were no televisions in the restaurants. Instead, there were groups of four or more engaged in lively conversations. It was so loud in most of the places that even if there were a television you could never hear what was being said. Even those who were lucky enough to sit at one of the very few tables available in tapa bars were also practicing the art of conversation. In Spain, hands are used for eating, drinking, talking and touching.

The fact that the city’s soccer team had won an important game that evening added to the good cheer on the pedestrian packed streets. The team’s flag was everywhere, including peoples' wardrobes, and spirits were high, which translates into: more food and more beer!

San Sebastian, for me, was a celebration in every way and I hope to return again soon, to learn more about its people and culture, which definitely includes exploring their food and their own kind of aloha spirit.

Santander in a Snap

2010-06-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

The drive from Santiago de Compostela to Santander took most of the day.

Santander is the capital of the Cantabrian Autonomous Community of Spain. I was particularly looking forward to visiting this town because I had never been here before and I had heard so much about it.

Also, my student who had done his final project on this city was very enthusiastic about his research, so it had to be good. Even though I caught a bug that was going around the bus, I wasn’t going to let it stop me.

As we rolled into the city, June Naughton, who was sitting nearby turned to me and asked, “Want to go swimming?” The water looked freezing, but I didn’t care. After spending all day on the bus, it seemed like a lot of fun to get knocked around in the waves. The plan was to put on our bathing suits as fast as possible since it was almost sunset.

However, my roommate, Kristen, ran into some trouble. Her ankles had been swollen for several days from all the walking, but when she showed them to me, they looked abnormal, so we called my dad who is a doctor. I’m so glad she said something, because she ended-up needing antibiotics.

My mom and dad, who were planning on heading to the shopping district, took a detour to the pharmacy first. The doctor ordered Kristen to keep her feet up and rest. June and I had just enough time to take a dip. Just a handful of people braved the ice bath. June proved her Hawaiian metal by diving right in then body surfing the waves into shore.

The idea was to say, “I’ve been in the Cantabrian Sea,” so I got up my courage and went underwater. By this point, we were both so numb that we forgot we were cold. We didn’t stay long, mostly because of the choppiness rather than the cold. We enjoyed the view while we caught-up on our respective ideas of the trip, then hustled back to the hotel to take a warm shower.

After dinner, my parents and I bumped into June and her roommate, Judy, at the Casino. Judy was up by a lot and June was enjoying the show. They were having a blast. Unfortunately, we left the very next morning. We were there for about 12 hours, half of which were spent sleeping.

In other words, our visit was a like a tease. The city looked small and the architecture was very different from other parts of Spain that I have visited. It also seemed very rich. I didn’t make it to the old quarter, but my parents did, and my mom confirmed my suspicions.

Our guide told us that in mid-June through the end of August, there are little bars all over the beaches, called “chiringuitos”. It was still a bit chilly and students are still in exams, so Santander was still quite. There’s a university in town… maybe one day I can come back and stay for at least a weekend.

So Fast Santander!

2010-06-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

In the words of June Naughton, some of our visits were like "one night stands", in the sense that we only got to spend one night there and sometimes not even that.

This was the case in Santander. We arrived around sunset and left after dawn.

Like our tour guide, Manolo, said, you could smell the money growing on the trees here. It's an aristocratic city and it shows!

Please see my student's report on Santander for more info on the city.

There are three things I will remember most about this coastal resort town:

(1) My dad caring for my roommate Kristin. He's so kind!

(2) Taking a dip in the freezing Cantabrian Sea with June Naughton. She's so brave!

(3) Judy hitting the jackpot in the smoky casino. She's so lucky!

St. Ignatius: An Abbreviated Life

2010-06-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

This chronology is a first draft of the biographical data presented by our numerous guides, museum data, Father Russ and Father Steve during our pilgrimage. Please point out errors since I have not yet been able to double-check all the facts.

1491
Born in Aztepia, Loyola (Basque Country) to a large, noble family. He was the last of 13 children. The family seal depicts a cauldron and two wolves. His mother, Doña Marina, dies shortly thereafter.

1492
Birth of a new geographical world. Columbus sails the Atlantic and lands in the Caribbean. The Christian Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon conquer the last Islamic stronghold in the South of Spain.

1494
Wars in Italy open the way for the Renaissance

1507
Iñigo’s father dies. He is orphaned at 16. His brother’s wife, from the court of Queen Isabel, has taken on the role of mother.

1515
Leaves home to work as a page in the court of Astazia

1519
Moves to Pamplona

1521
Marched on Pamplona in a battle against the French where he receives a cannonball in the leg. The French cared for him and transported him to Loyola. Up until he was 26 he was deficient in faith and caught up in vanities. Emperor Charles V has trouble curbing the Protestant Reformation.

June 24: Doctor advised Iñigo to make his last confession
June 28: Doctors certain he will die soon
June 29: Begins to recover
June 30: Spanish retake Pamplona; 3rd operation to saw leg;

Bedridden until February when…

He leaves Loyola on pilgrimage to Jerusalem with his priest brother, his niece from the novitiate, two servants and a mule.

Aránzazu: They travel to Aránzazu in order to do penance for their sins. Ignacio was accustomed to being hard on himself. At Aránzazu he prays for strength. After Aránzazu, on the way to Montserrat, he argues with a Moor about Mary’s virginity and asks himself: Should I kill him? He leaves the bridle of his mount in God’s hands and the mule goes in the direction of Montserrat rather than that of the Moor thus sparing his life.

Montserrat: At the entrance of Montserrat he puts on beggars clothes, keeps night’s vigil in arms before Montserrat. He makes a general confession as well as a vow of chastity to the Virgin and departs for in Manresa where he reflects on his new life-style.

Manresa: In order to help others, he begins to put in writing the fruit of his experience known as the “Spiritual Exercises”. He also works with great desire at St. Lucy’s Hospital. After three months, he moves into a Dominican Househ where he suffers bouts of depression.

Jerusalem: He eventually travels to Jerusalem via Barcelona and Venice, but the Franciscans there force him to return to Europe. The
Turks have invaded the Holy Land and he is not safe there. The ship nearly wrecks teaching him to trust in God alone. He lands in Venice where he meets up with his friends.

1523
Hapsburg Wars. Protagonists: Pope Adrian VI, Henry VII, and Luther.

1524
At the age of 33 he studies Latin in Barcelona with students much younger than himself. He realizes that he needs to study to help others; Attends Universities of Salamanca and Alcala but his creative ideas bring him problems. He finds himself obliged to move to Paris. There he begins to call himself Ignatius and gathers around himself a group of fellow students who want to follow his way of life.

1534
Ten years after his initial arrival in Paris, he takes vows in Montmartre in Paris and founds the “Friends of the Lord.” Bad health forces him to return to Azpetia. Instead of staying at his family palace, he lives with the poor. He reunites with his friends in Venice on way to Rome. Here, he receives a vision of Christ carrying his cross. This is a sign for him that Christ has accepted him in his service and it assures him of Christ’s enduring favor.

1549
Pope Paul II approves the Society of Jesus “for the service of God and the good of men.” The first Jesuits disperse. Ignatius travels to Japan.

1556
Dies at 46 at the gates of China; Charles V abdicates the throne. At this time, there are already 1,000 Jesuit members. Earlier, two women were included in this number, but they “butt heads” with Ignatius and are dismissed from the order. He leaves the exercises in the hands of his brother (or servant?).

The Return to Aránzazu

2010-06-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

From the beginning, the reason why I considered participating in this pilgrimage organized by Jesuits was because one of the stops on the route was Aránzazu. When I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Virginia in Spanish three years ago, I felt the urge to make a pilgrimage to Aránzazu, but the timing wasn’t right. Two days after I defended my dissertation in Charlottesville, I was on a plane to Honolulu to begin teaching immediately.

As we all now know, Aránzazu is not easily accessible. One must go out of their way to come here. The closest major city is Bilbao or San Sebastian, but even then, it is about a two-hour drive. So when I heard that Father Russell Roide from the Newman Center in Honolulu on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus was organizing a trip to Aránzazu, I knew the time had come.

I told my parents about the pilgrimage and invited them to join me. My mother was eager to attend, but my father took a more convincing. The idea of traveling with a group of strangers wasn’t his idea of a vacation, but now that we’re here, it’s clear that once he opens up, he’s the life of the party. It’s obvious that he’s having a lot of fun and that he’s making lots of new friends.

I had been anticipating this return to Aránzazu for years. I had only been here once before, as an infant, and had no memory of the place, except for maybe the “large mountains”. Little did I know that I would be arriving on a bus full of fellow pilgrims from Hawaii and California. As I sat in the Basilica at the beginning of mass, I realized that this was one good reason why I ended up all the way in Hawaii from Virginia. In other words, I had to go all the way to Hawaii in order to be here in Aránzazu with my parents and forty new friends. Isn’t that simply amazing?

When Father Russ asked if I would like to do the reading for the mass in the Basilica, I couldn’t believe it. Could my parents ever have imagined that I would have been reading at the altar of the Basilica of Aránzazu and that they would be there to witness it? During the bus ride there from Santander, I repeated to myself – “Arantxa, don’t break down… don’t cry…” I didn’t want to blow the reading. I didn’t want to cry at the altar. And I say all this because, I cry very easily. You can ask my brothers and this experience was beyond moving because this is not just any old church.

Ricarda said, “I’ve been all over the world. I’ve visited mosques, temples and basilicas everywhere, and this place is something else.” Unlike most cathedrals, which point upwards towards the sky, the Basilica of Aránzazu is underground. You walk down a set of stairs and enter an enormous womblike space made of local stones, wood and glass. The original structure where the statue was placed burned down and in 1950 an experimental architect was hired to construct this mysterious place. The first architect, who was from Madrid, died and he was replaced by a Basque who finished the project. Besides being underground, another remarkable feature is that the virgin is so tiny in comparison to the rest of the building.

After mass, we were given the very special opportunity to go upstairs and see the statue up close. In the sacristy, which was covered in contemporary murals depicting the creation and life of Jesus, we were so close to the virgin that we could have touched her. From far away it was hard to appreciate her coloring. One of the surprising features for me was that she was blond. Father Antonio told me that the statue has never been restored. They have left her exactly how they found her, which makes it all the more impressive; in over 500 years the polychrome colors have barely faded.

There is so much more that I could write about this experience, but I’m still absorbing it all. Signing the book of all the people named Aránzazu was particularly moving. Right above my name was the signature of a child, which reconnected me to the time I had been there over thirty years ago as an infant, and which emphasized the reading that God knew me before I was born.

“You are in the Bush”: On the Road to Aránzazu

2010-06-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Not many Americans visit Aránzazu, Spain.

Aránzazu (in Castilian) or Arantzazu (in Basque) is the name of a small town in the Basque Country where St. Ignatius visited on his pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

In this isolated place, surrounded by large mountains, over 500 years ago, a shepherd heard the ringing of a bell. He walked in the direction of the sound, thinking it could have been a lost sheep. When he discovered the bell, he also found a small statue of the Virgin Mary in the middle of a bush.

During this time, the Basque Kingdom had been suffering wars and a three-year drought. Witchcraft was also an issue. As our tour guide, the Franciscan Brother Antonio explained, after the shepherd found the statue, the rains began, the wars ended and there was a return to Catholicism through the worship of the Virgin.

While it is known that the polychrome wooden statue was found in 1468, the date of its composition is unknown. This stop was included in our trip, because St. Ignatius visited the Virgin of Aránzazu shortly after his conversion, around 1523. It was here that he made his vow of chastity.

I've included pictures of our last moments in Santiago...

“God Sent Me”: Pilgrims to Santiago

2010-06-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

“God Sent Me”: Pilgrims to Santiago

St. James (Santiago) was one of Christ’s twelve apostles. He was decapitated in Jerusalem (44 A.C.) after which his body was smuggled to Spain by boat. His body is said to lie inside the cathedral in Compostela, Galicia. Historically, pilgrims traveled to Santiago to pay tribute to him in this place on the most northwestern tip of the Iberian Peninsula that was considered to be the end of the Earth before Columbus “discovered” America (1492).

St. James appeared to Christian soldiers while they resisted the occupation of Moors on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) (711 – 1492). The disciple was riding a white horse and carried a sword. This apparition gave him the nickname of “The Moor Slayer.” (Matamoros). If you look closely, you can see a Moorish soldier lying underneath his horse on many statues that depict St. James inside the Cathedral.

According to our excellent tour guide, the first pilgrims arrived to the tomb of St. James in Santiago, Spain about one hundred years after the Moorish invasion of the Peninsula began (813). The pilgrimage to this holy site became so popular that a cathedral was built. Construction began in 1075 and continued until 1140. Its two dominating architectural styles are the Romanesque and Baroque.

Each year, Santiago welcomes approximately 500,000 pilgrims. A pilgrim is someone who leaves everything in search of an intercession, or divine help. It is also a rite of purification, which explains why one of the symbols of St. James is a conch shell. The shell symbolizes baptism and is a reference to John the Baptist. The two major symbols of St. James which one finds all over the city are the conch shell and the “cross of faith” which is in the shape of a sword.

Upon completion of the journey, a pilgrim receives a conch shell as well as a plenary indulgence. This document, which can only be obtained in Santiago, Rome and Jerusalem, abstains you from all your sins and guarantees you a place in heaven. Father Steve and I compared it to the Monopoly “get out of jail free” card. In order to receive this valuable document, that is also transferable to somebody else, the pilgrim must travel at least 600 miles on foot, horse or bicycle.

When you enter the crypt inside of the Cathedral, the custom is to embrace the statue of St. James and make a petition. Since I didn’t walk or bike over 600 miles to arrive here (even though I did fly all the way from Honolulu) I wonder whether my prayer will be heard?

One of the things that I loved about the Cathedral was how plants were growing out of every nook giving it a very organic look, as if the whole structure were an ornate pot.

The picture with the law enforcement officer was taken for my brother Gabe. He was hesitant at first, but a little aloha goes a long way.

Arrival to Santiago

2010-06-05T09:53:00.002-07:00

We stayed in en elegant hotel conveniently located within walking distance of the Cathedral. The city’s hustle and bustle caught some of the pilgrims by surprise. My roommate, for instance, did not expect Santiago to be such a busy city.

Santiago a major university town (the college was founded in 1495, making it the second oldest in Spain after the University of Salamanca, where my mother was born and where my parents met; 30,000 students are enrolled in the University of Santiago de Compostela today) and since it is a Jubilee year, or Xacobeo, (every eleven years), there are more tourists and pilgrims than usual.

The energy on the streets was palpable: students, who are in the middle of exams in Spain right now, were rushing to study sessions with notebooks under their arms; parents were carrying groceries in one hand while holding a child’s hand in another; and business people were swinging briefcases rushing to get home.

After spending so many hours sitting on the bus, my father and I went for a jog in a lovely park with postcard views of the Cathedral two blocks away from the hotel. Jogging past gardens bursting with gigantic roses and aromatic eucalyptus trees, while identifying statues of famous people from Galicia like the poet Rosalia de Castro and the playwright Ramon del Valle-Inclan under a cool misty rain made the experience very enjoyable.

On our way back to the hotel, we couldn’t resist buying a couple of slices of the typical empanada of Galicia filled with tuna or cod. My mother, who rarely eats sweets, opted for the “hojaldre” stuffed with whip cream and topped with meringue.

After dinner we visited the Cathedral at night. White birds circled the watchtower, stars twinkled in the sky and pilgrims with backpacks appeared around corners and under corridors with their walking sticks adorned with the conch shells that are awarded to them for completing their long journey.

Book Recommendation: Walk in a Relaxed Manner, Joyce Rupp

Fatima to Santiago

2010-06-05T09:53:00.001-07:00

Traditionally, a pilgrimage is done on foot. Taking the bus makes us appreciate how far pilgrims walk and how difficult it can be. I’ve been so impressed with so many of the members of our group, most of whom are over 60, many of whom are not used to walking so much, and some of whom are physically challenged.

We spent most of the day on the bus traveling from Fatima in Portugal to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. This journey would take at least three weeks on foot. Along the way, we passed rivers, streams and creeks; farms, horses and cows; churches, factories and fishing towns. The countryside in this northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula is beautiful and the ride was peaceful. Most of us were silent, which makes me think that we were all absorbing what we had experienced in Fatima. When we arrived in Santiago at 6 p.m., after boarding the bus at 9 a.m., we were all ready to stretch our legs.

Conclusive Coimbra

2010-06-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

On our way to Santiago, we stopped in the city of Coimbra, Portugal, famous for its university and its role as a major cultural center for many centuries.

We drove to the top of the city through small winding streets where we stopped at the Carmelite convent where the primary seer of the Virgin of Fatima, Sister Lucia, spent the last years of her long life.

One of the pilgrims remarked that it reminded her of Florence with its valleys packed with terracotta rooftops against a background of swooping hills. Lucia escaped the fanfare that followed the visions by isolating herself here in the order of nuns founded by Saint Theresa of Avila, one of three female doctors of the Catholic Church, as one of the sisters proudly remarked.

Even though the church was small, the art within was breathtaking. Since I was feeling nauseous from the winding bus ride, I sat in the back of the church during the mass celebrated by Father Steve in the event that I needed to run outside for an emergency.

From this perspective, I was struck by the beauty of several statues: (1) St. Teresa of France; (2) The Holy Family and; (3) Jesus bleeding on the cross. This last statue was placed directly in front of the section of the church where the cloistered nuns sat hidden from our view.

I wonder what it must be like to look at that particular face of Jesus full of suffering every single day for extended periods of time… What is the message?

One pilgrim asked, “If the main message of Catholicism is love, why is there such a emphasis on suffering?” We are taught that Jesus loved us so much that he suffered crucifixion on the cross in order to save us. We know that his love involved suffering, but does that mean that in order to love we must also suffer? Are love and suffering indistinguishable? Can we have one without the other? Doesn’t it hurt sometimes to love our neighbor? Is the pain we endure when we open our hearts to love our enemy the same suffering that Christ underwent on the cross?

The life of Jesus teaches us that once we overcome that suffering, the joy that comes as a result is unlike anything else because it is eternal. Unlike the things that produce momentary satisfaction (drugs, sex, food, alcohol, entertainment, etc.), love is eternal.

As we strive to open our hearts more and more by loving those that have hurt us, or those we can’t stand, or those we don’t understand, joy inevitably follows. Seen in this light, the pyramid of drawers on the altar at the church – a metaphor used by St. Teresa of Avila to explain the different doors that we open and explore to access God according to her method of meditation – is fitting.

The joy on the face of the many photographs of Sister Lucia that we saw in the slideshow at the museum next to the convent was what really convinced me that what happened in Fatima is true. But it wasn’t simply the smile; it was the light that emanated from her whole being that convinced me that this woman spent her whole life very close to divinity.

Sister Lucia continued to experience apparitions throughout her life. She went from being a poor shepherd girl isolated in the countryside of Portugal to becoming a woman who shined on center stage as she humbly shared the message of love with peasants, popes and anybody else who wanted to know.

Instead of isolating herself completely from society, she took advantage of the silence of the convent to answer thousands of letters from people all over the world. She continued to write letters even on her deathbed.

If we could all die with the same peace as Sister Lucia that was so evident in her smiling face, wouldn’t we all be much happier and much less afraid of death and dying?

Memorial Day: Second Day at Fatima

2010-06-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Enveloped in a thick fog that hung over Fatima in the silence of dawn, we celebrated mass at 6:30 AM on Monday morning in the Chapel of Apparitions. As the sun arose behind the Basilica, the fog took on pink hues like an impressionist painting forming before our eyes. Father Russ led the mass at the beginning of which he reminded us that it was Memorial Day. He dedicated the service to the Virgin if Fatima and to all those who have fought and who are currently fighting in the service of our country. It seemed appropriate to end the celebration by singing “America the Beautiful.”

After the bountiful breakfast buffet at the Hotel Fatima, a Portuguese woman took us on a three-hour tour of the Fatima compound, or sanctuary, as well as a visit to the small town where the three children lived called Aljustrel. Like the word Fatima, which is Arabic in origin, so is the name of this place. Spanish words that begin with the letters “AL” come from the Arabic language. In other words, Muslims were in control of this area between 700 and 1000. As we toured I wondered about the impact of Fatima on the identity and economy of Portugal and I asked myself why here? Why did the apparitions occur here? As I write this blog entry, I wonder whether it has anything to do with what happened during the time that Moors controlled this area or even during the Reconquest by Christians?

Why did the Virgin appear to these three poor children, who from the early age of six were working as shepherds to help feed their family? Hopefully the book Fatima: In Her Own Words will shed some light on this question. The book tells the story of Sister Lucia who lived well into her nineties. The other two children -- her cousins -- died from tuberculosis before they reached adolescence. In 2000, Jacinta and Francisco were canonized and Lucia was there to witness it.

As I have mentioned previously, the Blessed Mother appeared to these children on six occasions in 1917. “A lady more brilliant than the sun” with a white rosary hanging from her hands came to the children and transmitted a series of messages to them at each appearance. Before these apparitions, the Angel of Peace revealed itself three times to prepare the children for the apparition of Mary. In the classic photograph of the children, their faces are filled with fright. I don’t blame them. I would have been terrified too. The fact that no one believed them only added to their fear. We visited all the places where these multiple apparitions occurred.

Many of the pilgrims in our group mentioned that they particularly enjoyed visiting the town where the children were born and raised. Seeing the real sheep, tiny bedrooms, water well, cabbage patches, olives trees seemed to make it all more real. Fatima to some seemed “cold” and “commercial”. It’s enormous and rich, while Aljustrel is humble and poor.

Our visit to Fatima ended in a medieval palace, next to the parish church of Fatima, that has been refurbished to accommodate large groups. We were served typical Portuguese fare including a green soup and green stuffing made of the collard greens grown in the garden right outside. After we ate and drank to our hearts’ delight, we were graced with the performance of Deolinda Bernardo who sang classic Fado songs. In true diva fashion, she had every single man in the hall – even the priests – kiss her as she sang “Besame mucho.”

The Spaniards stayed to dance the night away, while we left to get some much-needed sleep.

Fatima: Day One

2010-06-01T16:27:00.002-07:00

After checking in to our very conveniently located hotel, many of us were lured into the shopping district where religious objects and Portuguese souvenirs are sold. My brother Gabriel asked me for a Portuguese national soccer team t-shirt, but the only ones I could find where made of an itchy polyester. Thanks to him, I paid attention to the similarities between soccer fanaticism and religious fervor. I noticed that the Portuguese are passionate about both Futbol and Fatima. Our guide even explained that whenever there is a “big match,” her sons ask her to light a candle and offer it to Fatima so that their team wins.

My first encounter inside the Fatima compound was the enormous fire pit. You buy candles (on your honor) of all shapes and sizes, and in voto (to give thanks or to ask for a petition) you offer them to the Virgin of Fatima. Some candles were taller than humans others were shaped like organs and body parts. As we made our offering, I was struck by the people walking on their knees, from one end of the esplanade to the other (at least two football fields in size). A special path made of smooth marble functions as a path from the older basilica to the new church. Most of the people walking on their knees were women, but I did see a few men do it as well. Speaking of soccer, people used shin guards to protect their skin; I also noticed the use of hotplates as knee pads.

Father Steve Corder led our first mass in the Chapel of the Sacred Family inside of the Basilica. Unfortunately, my parents missed it because they were late and did not know where to go. The message I took away from the mass was to be thankful for our friends, especially Mary and others who take us closer to God. On the way out of mass, my parents found me in the Chapel of Apparitions where there was a Spanish mass. My mother thought I was missing and my father realized that even one minute late is too late.

After dinner, we met at the esplanade to pray the rosary (5 decades / 10 languages) followed by a procession of light while singing Fatima’s version of the Ave Maria. I’ve never been on a pilgrimage before nor have I attended the World Cup, but when my brothers and father returned from Germany during the last series, my father was struck by how many nations of the world united for the love of soccer. Similarly, I was struck by the same thing in Fatima, but for the love of the Blessed Mother. Unlike the World Cup however, which only happens every four years, pilgrims come to Fatima from all over the world every singe day.

The Acorn and the Pumpkin

2010-06-01T16:27:00.001-07:00

A man doubted whether God was really perfect or not. Why are acorns are so small yet their tree is so big? Why are pumpkins are so big and their vines so small? Then, one day while he was sitting under a tree an acorn fell on his head and it hurt. He then realized that God was indeed perfect, because if it were a pumpkin that had fallen on his head instead, it would have killed him.

The Origins of Fátima

2010-06-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, James Frankel, professor of religion at the University of Hawaii at Manoa asked me to inquire about the origin of Fatima, the town’s name. Being an specialist of Islam, he was struck by the fact that Fatima is an Arabic name, so I asked our tour guide. Just as in Spain, the people of Islam also invaded the Kingdom of Portugal beginning in the eighth century. The Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula lasted 800 years. The Christian kingdoms fought against this occupation from its onset starting in the north of the Peninsula heading south. One of the castles conquered from the Moors was called Ourém. The soldier who led the battle was called Gonzalo Hermingues. As a prize, the King of Portugal, Alfonso Enrique gave Gonzalo a beautiful Arabic woman named Fatima. After this, she converted to Christianity and changed her name to Ouriana. Today, the town of Fatima is located in the county of Ourém where the castle was located and the main church there is called Fatima. The exact place where the apparitions occurred is called Cova da Iria, in the town of Fatima, which is in the county of Ourém. Since I found this explanation a bit confusing, I asked for clarification on three occasions. I’m still not completely clear, but it’s a lead.

The Town of Fátima

2010-06-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Fátima, Portugal on Sunday afternoon. The Blessed Mother appeared here and in the surrounding area on six occasions in 1917. According to a very friendly gift shop clerk, Sundays are the most popular day of the week. Since the apparitions, this town has grown significantly and on any given day there are more pilgrims than residents. The population of the town is eight thousand, but there are over forty hotels to accommodate the four million people who visit each year. Our guide told us that 600,000 people were present for the Pope’s visit just two weeks ago. The visited area consists of three main buildings: (1) The Chapel of Apparitions; (2) The Basilica and (3) the new church all of which are situated on an expansive esplanade. The chapel marks the area where five of the six apparitions occurred; the basilica, built in the 1920s holds the tombs of the three shepherds who saw the Virgin Mary and; the third building, completed in 2007, is the fourth largest Catholic Church in the world accommodating 9,000 people.

20 Things I learned about Lisbon and Portugal

2010-05-31T08:54:00.000-07:00

1. SIZE. Our excellent, and very cultured, guide, Margarita, described Portugal as a “skinny” country. It is 130 miles from East to West and 500 miles from North to South. It is smaller than Andalucia (Spain). From Lisbon to Badajoz (Spain) in car takes two hours.

2. LOCATION. During the Medieval Ages “everyone wanted a piece of Lisbon”, according to our guide, “because of its location.” It was the city on the edge of Europe, closest to the Atlantic. “Now it’s not so important because we have different systems” and by that, I think she meant, globalization.

3. SOCCER. Lisbon has three soccer teams and they are always at war with one another.

4. MULTILINGUALISM. In general, the Portuguese speak more languages than their neighbors, the Spanish. One explanation is that Portugal is the only country in the European Union that does not dub its television and movies. Another hypothesis was that, historically, many Spaniards would cross the border to shop in Portugal because it was cheaper and because they have high quality products like cotton and ceramics. In order to do business with the Spanish, and others, they learned their language.

5. CERAMIC BUILDINGS. Ceramic tiled facades are one of the city’s most distinguishing characteristics.

6. TAGUS RIVER. The river that runs through Lisbon is the Tagus, which is the longest in the Iberian Peninsula; the source of this river is in Spain. During the Medieval Ages it was called “The Little Mediterranean”. After the 1755 tsunami that followed the great earthquake that killed thousands and destroyed the city, the river decreased in width by half.

7. CATHOLICISM. Before the great earthquake of 1755 there were 1,100 churches in Lisbon.

8. CATHEDRALS are built like fortresses. In times of war, and other violence, people found refuge in these spaces. They would lock the doors and remain inside until it was safe to exit. The word cathedral derives from a Latin word that means “the seat of the cardinal” because this is where the cardinal “stayed”.

9. LISBON’S CATHEDRAL. It took several centuries to build the Church of Santa Maria Maior, which explains why several architectural styles are represented including Gothic (high ceilings) and Baroque (altars covered in 24k gold).

10. ST. ANTHONY of Padua (Italy) was actually born and baptized in Lisbon. His parish was in the cathedral described above which is also where he was baptized. It was built in the 12th century on top of a mosque (which was built on top of a Roman city).

11. IBERIAN PIPE ORGANS are instruments that are only found in Spain and Portugal. The feature that distinguishes them is that they are made of vertical and horizontal pipes.

12. COMMUNITY WEDDING. Even though St. Vincent is the patron saint of Lisbon, there is a special devotion to St. Anthony. On the eve of St. Anthony (June 12) social workers select 16 poor couples from Lisbon. The city treats them to a communal wedding with all expenses paid. The 16 couples are married in the castle of St. George on top of one of the highest hilltops of the city. Each couple is allowed to invited two-dozen guests, and a big party is organized with food, music and dancing. Wealthy patrons of the city give the couples washing machines and other wedding gifts.

13. LEGENDS. Our guide joked, “There are 365 legends in Portugal and one more every four years.” I will share two of that we learned during our tour of Lisbon.

14. On the eve of St. Anthony (June 12) single girls roast an ARTICHOKE and leave it on their windowsill overnight. If the artichoke blooms the next morning, that is, if it turns purple, then it means that you will get married within the next year.

15. The ROOSTER. A young pilgrim was traveling from Santiago to Portugal. He was tired and hungry from traveling and stopped at a family inn. The maid fell in love with him but he was a spiritual man, and still very absorbed in his experience in St. James, and didn’t pay much attention to her. So, she decided to punish him. She took the owner’s silverware and placed it inside his bag while he was sleeping. When the owner woke up the next day and noticed his silver was missing, the maid told him the pilgrim had taken it. When the silver was found in his bag they took him to the judge who was in the middle of a party. While they waited, the pilgrim prayed for an inspiration. He asked God to send him a sign. It came to him, so he said to the judge, “I am innocent. To prove it, I tell you that this rooster that has been cooked is going to come back to life,” and the rooster resurrected and crowed “cucurooroo.” They followed the rooster to the church and from that point on the rooster is considered as a symbol of good luck. The root of this legend comes from the fact that in the 18th century artisans made many clay animals (there are many clay quarries in the north of the country). The rooster has always been very popular for the artisans and customers because it has more color than other animals (dogs, cats, horses, etc.)

16. JACARANDA TREES from Brazil were in full bloom all over the city.

17. FADO. Amália Rodrigues was a famous Fado singer form Lisbon. Her home has been converted into a museum.

18. MURALISM. I was surprised to see so many murals and graffiti all over Lisbon. There’s a difference between the two. Murals beautify while graffiti defaces. Also, murals require permission from either the state or private entity and are oftentimes done in collaboration with those groups, while graffiti is done without it and in protest of rules.

19. PARLIAMENT. Even though Portugal is such a small country (12 million people; 2 million people in Lisbon), their Parliament is huge: 252 deputies. The building is at the turn of the twentieth century and it is neoclassical in style.

20. GOLDEN GATE LOOK-A-LIKE. April 25 is the name of the bridge that looks like the Golden Gate (built by the same architects and almost exactly the same size; the bridge in Lisbon is two feet shorter than the one in San Francisco). This date marks the day of the revolution in Lisbon that Portugal went from a dictatorship (Salazar) to democracy.

Day 1: Lisbon in the Morning

2010-05-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

The pilgrimage has begun on a very intimate note. Thinking it was one hour later than the time it really was, I rushed to the bathroom to put on my contacts, brush my teeth and get dressed. (I did not remember that Lisbon is one hour earlier than Madrid.) Soon after, my roommate, Kristen asked, “Aránzazu, did you put on my contacts?” Since I could see perfectly, I didn’t even realize that I wasn't wearing my contacts. It’s a good thing she brought another pair because she asked me to throw them away. In all my years living with roommates that was definitely a first. On another note, but also in relation to intimacy, when you live with a gastroenterologist (Dad), bowel movements are a popular topic of conversation. After breakfast he came down with diarrhea. Poor thing. I’ve noticed that digestive systems respond in one of two ways when you travel abroad: (1) constipation or (2) diarrhea. Mom and Dad meet both of these parameters. When we disrupt our daily routine and displace ourselves so suddenly, it takes a while for our bodies to catch-up. In 30 minutes we are meeting in lobby to catch a bus to take a city tour of Lisbon.The whole group (45 people) has arrived safely from the U.S. and I look forward to meeting everyone. The hotel where we stayed was absolutely wonderful. It is registered as a historic "accommodation site." The complimentary port was particularly popular. Complimentary breakfast wasn't too shabby either (champagne, fruit, pastries, espresso, breads, eggs, etc.).

Lisbon: First Impressions

2010-05-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

I had never been to Lisbon before, until now. As my parents and I flew into Lisbon from Madrid (Saturday, May 29) to meet the rest of the group, I made several observations about the country and city from birds-eye view:

(1) It’s much greener than Castile (this winter was much wetter than others and the Portuguese say that it is also greener than ever; however, due to the heavy rains, agriculture and farmers are suffering);

(2) The Tagus River is huge.

(3) It is less populated than Spain;

(4) Lisbon is situated on a bay with a bridge like the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco;

(5) Lisbon is a coastal city;

(6) The city has several large parks;

(7) Most of the houses are white with terracotta roofs;

(8) There are also blue, yellow, pink and baby blue houses.

(9) Like the statue of Jesus in Rio de Janeiro, there is a similar one in Lisbon modeled after the one in Brazil;

(10) Lisbon is not as huge as Madrid, but it is still a big city (2 million people). The airport in Lisbon is much smaller and a lot less modern than Barrajas in Madrid.

Santander

2010-05-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

It's clear that Joseph Plichter has a passion for writing!

His final paper was packed with useful facts that were tied together into a colorful narrative resulting in a very pleasurable read. Like the fishing / trading port of Santander that has transformed into the lavish resort it is today, Joe went through a similar growth process over the course of the last fifteen weeks or so.

He writes:

* ... The most arduous element of this assignment was deciding what to omit and what to display on only ten slides.

* ... The cathedral is Santander's premier religious monument. It was built during the 14th century, thus its lavish architecture is very much Gothic in its form. Once you are inside... you will notice the immense interior, which can be accessed through a 15-th century cloister... This structure is built on top of a crypt of undetermined origins (perhaps Roman)

* The largest park in the city surrounds the Royal Palace built as a summer home by King Alfonso XIII built in 1909. This palace holds a museum dedicated to Saint Magdalena and there is also a defense castle that overlooks the bay. There is also a zoo here on the rocky cliffs on the northern end of the park. There is also a galleon on the premises that belonged to Vital Alsar, a famous Santander sailor and adventurer.

* The Royal Palace has been renovated and equipped with the latest technology to accommodate the students of Menendez Pelayo International University which now occupies this Palace, however, the Palace is still open to the public and admission is free.

* King Alfonso XIII is responsible for making this quaint fishing town into the luxurious resort it is today. He began the trend of rich upper class Spanish socialites summering in Santander.

* The name Santander originated in the Latinized form of Saint Emeterio, in Latin spelled "Sancti Emetherii" and has passed through many differing versions before it became the name we know today. It started with Sant Em'ter > San Ender > Sant Ander which closely resembles the name now known throughout Spain as SANTANDER.

2010 -- The Year of Santiago

2010-05-09T13:50:00.001-07:00

A Holy Year or Jubilee is declared when St. James Day (July 25) falls on a Sunday.

"At midnight on the eve of a Holy Year (Dec 31, 2009), a public ceremony is held in which the Archbishop of Santiago knocks three times on the Puerta Santa (Holy Door), which has been walled shut since the previous Holy Year (which, prior to this year, was 2004). Afterward, the wall is knocked down and remains open throughout the year, allowing pilgrims to enter the cathedral through it. At the end of the year, the door is again walled shut and remains closed until the next Holy Year (which is not until the year 2021). St. James the Apostle is the patron saint of Spain and his remains are believed to be in the cathedral at Santiago, making it one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the world." (http://www.answers.com/topic/spain-holy-year-at-santiago-de-compostela)

The pictures I have posted are from my last trip to Santiago in the Spring of 2006 when I spent the academic year in Spain on a Fulbright Fellowship. We visited the church and the University.

For an introduction to the WAY OF SANTIAGO, please see: http://www.freehighway.99k.org/

Barcelona

2010-05-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

Ryan Aughenbaugh researched the second largest city in Spain, Barcelona, which will be the final stop of our journey.

Unlike Matt, Simone and others who researched small towns, Ryan was confronted with the task of researching a place that has an enormous bibliography.

In his final paper, Ryan reflects:

* One concept of Barcelona that caught my attention was the similarities to our home city of Honolulu in Hawaii -- a greatly diverse city situated on the coast with an emphasis on tourism.

* For my title slide I decided to use a Hawaiian postcard that reads "Aloha Barcelona." To me, this symbolizes the journey made and the history and culture learned by me throughout this process.

* Like Waikiki, Barcelona's main beach is fake. The city beach in Barcelona was constructed for the 1992 Olympics.

* A little known fact about Antoni Gaudi is that the model of the main entrance of the Sagrada Familia church is that of a woman selling sand on a donkey... one might be able to witness this odd design and see how it is meshed with the rest of the building.

Manresa

2010-05-07T18:55:00.001-07:00

Kevin Davison researched the small town of Manresa in Catalonia which he found to have a "very depressing Jewish history." He discovered that "Even before the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 there was aggression towards the Jews by the Christians." He also discovered that like Loyola and Javier, this town has a special connection to St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Javier

2010-05-07T18:22:00.000-07:00

Simone Benjamin said it best in her final paper, "Once I was able to understand the man behind the town, I was given a better understanding of the town behind the man."

Like Matt who researched the small town of Loyola, Simone also had difficulties researching because (1) Javier is so small -- only 150 inhabitants -- and (2) because her knowledge of Spanish is limited.

In her slides, she tried to get to the heart of Javier as well as "the spirit of Navarre".

Some other highlights from her paper include the following comments:

* Javier has become a place where greatness spews from its vines because of their pride and faith which lies in one Saint.

* He was born in the castle the size of most individuals' neighborhoods.

* Legend has it that on the day of his death a Gothic statue of the saint sweated in the castle where he was born.

* During his missionary work in India, the clash of cultures (monotheistic / polytheistic religion) was something Javier discusses at length in his writings.

* Inside the castle one can find the only depiction of the dance of death in Spain. the Dance depicts two skeletons and a passage or a door into an after life. For me it symbolized our continuous struggle in life and how our choices can have serious consequences if we are not careful.

Loyola

2010-05-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

Matt Cox had to get creative in researching the town of Loyola, Spain.

In his final paper that accompanied his slides, he writes: "Saint Ignatius is the only thing that ever really happened to this place, or at least the only thing I could really find except for almost the same paragraph just worded differently on a few different websites."

Besides seeing the same paragraph describing the founder of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, Matt's searches kept leading him to Loyola schools. His frustration continued: "... My favorite was a Wikipedia page that talked all about a fake car company that was located in Loyola called the Loyola Group and that it had a car that happened to be Franco's favorite." Is this a myth?

Since this class is taught in English students are not expected to know Spanish, or any of the other languages spoken on the Iberian Peninsula. Matt used an internet translator to read articles on the Web in Spanish and in Basque about Loyola but most of the sentences "didn't make sense."

Another discovery was that Loyola comes from the word "lohi" in the Basque language, which means clay or mud. It makes sense when you realize that there is a river that runs through the town.

Convivencia / Coexistence

2010-05-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

My students had an option to complete a creative or more traditional final research project. Twelve of my students opted for the creative final project which they then decided to do together as a group. This project consisted of researching the journey through Portugal and Spain that has been explained in previous posts.

One student, Tamara Barbee, decided very early on in the semester that she wanted to research "Al-Andalus". This is an Arabic name that refers to territories of the Iberian Peninsula that were under Muslim occupation from 711 - 1492. Specifically, she was interested in learning more about the specifics of how three major religions (Islam, Judaism and Christianity) coexisted for seven centuries in relative harmony. I've included a map from her presentation to show how Al-Andalus diminished in size as a result of the Christian Reconquest.

LIVING CONDITIONS:

Ups
* Like the rulers before them they did not give them the ultimatum of converting to Islam or death
* Even though Christians and Jews were treated like second rate citizens they were still able to prosper in Spain
* Same opportunities as Muslims including: education, crafts, government jobs and many more
* Christians and Jews were also able to maintain their own jurisdiction in all disputes as long as it did not involve a Muslim

Downs

* Tax called jizya that all non-Muslims had to pay instead of performing military services, which Muslims had to do
* Jews would be distinguished by the yellow colour of their clothes, and Christians by black
* During Al-Andalus churches and synagogues were not built
* They could not try to convert Muslim or a dhimmi to Judaism or Christianity and a dhimmi man could not marry a Muslim woman but a Muslim man could marry a dhimmi

Fatima

2010-05-06T19:03:00.001-07:00

The student who compiled the set of slides related to Fatima would like to remain anonymous. We will arrive in Fatima on the heels of a visit by Pope Benedict XVI. The Holy Father will be in Fatima on May 13 to remember Pope John Paul II and the 29th anniversary of the assassination attempt on his life (5/13/1981).

TIMELINE

1917: Three Portuguese children herding their sheep witnessed the apparition of a woman "brighter than the sun." (May 13). For the next six months the Virgin Mary visited the children every 13th day of the month. In August, the secularist (freemason) local administration arrested and detained the children. On the 19th day of that month, the Virgin appeared to the children. They were interrogated for the content of the secrets she confided in them. On October 13 approximately 70,000 people gathered to witness the apparition. According to all written testimony, the sun rotated wildly and changed colors.

1930: After canonical inquiry, the visions of Fatima were officially declared "worthy of belief." By this point over 2 million people made pilgrimages to the site

1938: In February the Pope dies, just as one of the children, Lucia, had predicted according to the visions (the second secret of Fatima).

1940s: The Church asks Lucia to write the secrets on paper.

1981: Unsuccessful assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II

2000: The third secret is revealed predicting the unsuccessful assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II.

2007: The fourth largest Catholic Church was constructed in Fatima

Lisbon

2010-05-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

These colorful slides were prepared by Marquita Granda as part of her final project for the class I taught this semester: Introduction to Iberian Studies (Latin American and Iberian Studies 360). In this course, Spain's cultural history from the first humans on the Peninsula until today was introduced. Each student was responsible for researching a different stop on the pilgrimage. They were asked to investigate the history, religious importance, saints, iconography, languages, and foods of the place and prepare a brief report in the shape of ten slides (that will be turned into a book). On the last day of class the students presented their research by giving oral presentations.

In her final paper corresponding to the slides, Marquita reflects:

* This morning I ate a malasada, Portuguese, yet very Hawaiian. Through this project, I learned about myself because I was able to add some pieces of the puzzle to my own culture, thus sparking a new found interest in the Iberian Peninsula.

* Throughout the long history of the Iberian Peninsula, there has been so much violence and murder due to religion, sometimes against the Christians and other times by them. This part of my research made me think about how religion can be the root of cruelty but also the root of kindness.

* When hate and violence are symptoms of religion is when I disagree with those religions' teachings.

* Outside of Libson there are dolmens and menhirs that were built by the ancient Iberian people. The dolmens served as tombs and are made of three upright stones while the menhirs are just one large upright stone.

* This research allowed me to have a better understanding of the world and more locally, Hawaii, as the Portuguese influence here is very strong.

Mapping the Journey

2010-05-06T17:58:00.001-07:00

After finding a map of the Iberian Peninsula on the Internet, I plotted (by hand) the places we will be visiting on our pilgrimage that begins in approximately three weeks. Hopefully it will give you a more panoramic idea of where we are headed in terms of geography. Also included in this post is the itinerary.

Workshop

2010-04-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

As their final project, my students in LAIS 360C: Introduction to Iberian Studies are preparing some pre-departure materials for the pilgrims.

Introducing

2010-04-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

One of my students put me to the test:

-- You should blog about the pilgrimage.

While I was already planning on documenting the trip, it had not occurred to me to blog. Subsequent requests to blog about the upcoming journey only added to the motivation.

Thus said, I am pleased to introduce --From Fatima to Montserrat -- a blog about the pilgrimage I hope to take this summer through Portugal, Spain and France with approximately fifty other people.