Madonna della Strada ( Our Lady of the Way) Painting located in the Gesu Rome, Italy
Our Lady of the Way Patroness of Pilgrims
Prayer to Our Lady of the Way
Composed by Pope Pius XII on July 2, 1956
O sweet Mary, our heavenly mother, be the guide of our steps along the often steep and rocky path of life. When we come to the end, be for us the door of heaven and show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. Amen.
St. Ignatius was born in 1491 at the Castle of Loyola in the Basque country of Spain. His mother, Marina Sanchez de Licona, and father, Don Beltran were both devout and devoted Catholic parents as well as patron-lay leaders to their parish, the Church of San Sebastian de Soreasu. As Patron, Don Beltran would have attended with his children feast days, weekly Masses, and times of devotionals such as adoration. This was the foundation of Saint Ignatius’ devotion to Our Lady which began at the family parish, a former monastery.
On the family estate, there were many images Ignatius was exposed to of His Blessed Mother. There was a statue of Mater Dolorosa (Sorrowful Mother) depicting Mary’s heart being pierced with seven swords. Each sword represents her compassionate pain she bore for her son, Jesus, who bled seven times during his life. The first time was at his circumcision. Later, during His Passion, Jesus sweats blood in the agony in the garden and on the cross, from the nails piercing His hands and feet and the spear piercing His side.
Women who influenced St. Ignatius devotion to Our Lady during this young life.
There were several women in his life who influenced him in his devotion to the Blessed Mother. The first was Ignatius' mother Marina Sanchez de Licona. After she died, while Ignatius was very young, he was sent to live with Maria Garin, a devout Basque, who became his nurse. She spent a good deal of quality time with Ignatius as a young boy. Often, he would accompany her to the Shrine of Our Lady of Olaz, which featured a carved wooden statue of Our Lady, wearing a crown and holding the Child Jesus.
Additionally, his sister-in-law, Magdalena Araoz, eventually became his surrogate mother. Under her care, the young Ignatius would have visited the family chapel, which featured a painting of Our Lady of the Annunciation. He also visited the hermitages and various shrines scattered throughout the property of the Loyola Estate. Many of which were associated with Our Lady and similar to the chapels he visited in Aranzazu and Montserrat.
For Ignatius, serving Our Lady, the Mother of Christ the King, was his highest honor.
Ignatius the Knight
Coming into young adulthood, Ignatius was sent to and served as a page in the court of King Ferdinand. This atmosphere was conducive to enhancing Saint Ignatius’ chivalrous attitude and his devotion to Our Lady. In this first level of training for chivalric knighthood, Ignatius grew to conform his character to the code and conduct expected of a knight This included exhibiting the virtues of mercy, honor, sacrifice, courage, and courtesy towards women. For Ignatius, serving Our Lady, the Mother of Christ the King, was his highest honor.
Protection under the Blessed Virgin Mary
Tradition holds that St. Ignatius was under the protection of the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary when he sustained a life-altering injury during a battle as a soldier for the king. During his long and painful period of convalescence, he received the graces for his conversion of heart, where he began a new journey as a soldier of Christ.
He notes in his autobiography that while he was recovering, he received his first vision of our Lady, the Madonna; she was holding the Holy Child Jesus. This was his first noticing of her intercession, which continued throughout the rest of his life, with the Blessed Mother pointing the way to Christ. It was during this time he first noticed the different movements he called consolation and desolation which came to be known in his work as the discernment of spirits.
It was during this time he first noticed the different movements he called consolation and desolation which came to be known in his work as The Discernment of Spirits.
Ignatius the Pilgrim
After several surgeries and a lengthy recovery, when he was well enough to travel, he began a pilgrimage to Jerusalem so that he could “kiss the earth where the Lord had walked.”
First, he stopped at the shrine of Our Lady of Arantzazu (#13), where he took a vow of chastity and prayed for her intercession for strength for his journey. There, Saint Ignatius left funds for her statue to be cared for. From there he traveled onto the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat.
Upon arrival at the monastery, he met with a spiritual director and made a general confession detailing all of the sins of his life. It was there, during all-night vigil before the altar of Our Lady of Montserrat, he laid down armor and sword, exchanging it for the armor of Christ (#17).
It was there, during all-night vigil before the altar of Our Lady of Montserrat, he laid down armor and sword, exchanging it for the armor of Christ
Dedication to Our Lady and Christ
Later, on the eve of Our Lady’s Annunciation, in the same chapel, during an all-night vigil, he took the vow of poverty and asked Our Lady to protect him from the sins of the flesh. It was then he dedicated himself to God and our Blessed Mother.
That night, on his way to Manresa, he passed by a beggar where he then exchanged his fine clothing with the man to now become poor in every way (#18). Ignatius’ conversion was now sealed; his old life was over, and his new life as a soldier for Christ had begun.
On the way to Manresa tradition has it that he visited a chapel with the image of Madonna Della Strada, translated, means Our Lady of the Way, who years later became the patroness of the Jesuit Order.
During his time in Manresa, he felt many consolations while praying at the Office of Our Lady (#28). While reciting the office, he described an experience of being elevated to a place where he saw the Holy Trinity as the figure of three musical keys, thus understating the mystery. There and in other places he traveled, he continued to experience visions of Jesus and Our Lady (#29). He shared with those who he met in Manresa that it was Our Lady who inspired his compilation of the Spiritual Exercises while he was still a lay person.
He shared with those who he met in Manresa that it was Our Lady who inspired his compilation of the Spiritual Exercises while he was still a lay person.
The Companions
Much happened from his time in Manresa to where he came to Paris to study, where he met up with other students who eventually formed the first companions of the Society. It was at Montmartre the companions took their first vows on the Feast of the Assumption. Again, we find that the Blessed Virgin Mary was there accompanying him and pointing the way to Christ. Soon after the Papal approval of the Society, they took their profession of solemn vows at Our Lady’s altar in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.
Ignatius, who wrote the Constitution of the Jesuits, noted how Our Lady interceded for him and, often at times, confirmed what he had written (#100).
Contemporaries of St. Ignatius attested to his expressed devotion to Mary in times of distress. He wrote prayers to honor Mary and for her protection; he prayed for her intercession before devotionals, including practices of abstinence on Fridays and Saturdays. The significance of these two days of devotion illustrates Saint Ignatius' focus of his prayer was on Mary as Madonna and Dolorosa, the Sorrowful Mother who stood at the foot of the cross.
Our Lady of the Way Patroness of the Jesuits and Pilgrims
Ignatius' veneration of Our Lady was a deep and profound part of his spirituality in his journey as a pilgrim and in the founding of the Society of Jesus. Her intercession had a powerful impact on his soul, as well as on anyone who has fled to her protection. In the account of his life, we find he referred to himself as the pilgrim, one who travels with a spiritual purpose. Through his life and writings, one can see why Our Lady of the Way became the patroness of the Society of Jesus and pilgrims.
Our Lady of the Way, pray for us!
* (# numbers taken from the book Saint Ignatius Own Story As told to Luis Gonzalez de Camara translated by William J. Young, S.J.)
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