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

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...