Photo Courtesy of MIKE SHAWVER
THE D.R. GROUP ON the Institute roof
CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
Eight father-son duos departed from Loyola to journey through the Camino de Santiago, a classic pilgrimage that Catholics take to explore their faith.
For students, it was an opportunity to deepen their connections with their fathers. Led by Jorge Torres ’99, the hiking group journeyed through Madrid, Botes and Fuente De to arrive at the beginning of the 100-kilometer hike, which would take them through the Picos de Europa into the heart of the pilgrimage.
The journey took them five days to complete, with each day involving between 15 to 20 miles of walking. The group would stop at cafes to catch a late lunch or early dinner, and every night the group would stay in hostels called Albergues.
Finally, the pilgrimage ended at the Cathedral of Santiago, the famed end of the pilgrimage, where they attended a daily mass hosted for the arriving pilgrims. While this is not the first time Loyola has led this trip, this is the first time they have done so in a father-son fashion.
Torres described the growing bond between the fathers and sons as his favorite part of this year’s journey. He continued, “The transition of some of the father/son relationships at the beginning of the journey to the relationships at the end was amazing. When doing certain reflections, a lot of dads would say, ‘I never knew this thing about my son,’ or ‘I had conversations with my son that I wish I had with my dad.’ There was nothing but time for us on that trail.”
William McDonald ’27 added, “I created a lifelong memory with my dad, and I will always remember that. My favorite part was when we arrived at Santiago de Compostela and we saw the beautiful cathedral.”
NEW ORLEANS
Students embarked on their 15th journey to New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward, which was led by Dr. Matthew Baham. A trip formed to support the city in its recovery from Hurricane Katrina, this effort has brought sustained improvements to the impacted communities.
The students helped by laying flooring for families who remain displaced, maintaining community gardens and supporting local senior centers. The students also took time to explore the city’s history and deepen their Ignatian roots.
“Fifteen years on, the New Orleans Summer Service Immersion continues to remind our students that service is not only about rebuilding homes, but also restoring dignity, cultivating compassion and fostering lifelong commitments to justice,” shared Baham.
In addition to the service, the group toured Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church, Loyola University and Tulane University, and they explored the vibrant culture of New Orleans.
Students also attended jazz performances, took “airboat swamp tours” and sampled local cuisine.
“The trip was very fun!” shared Abraham Galarza ’27. “Balancing service work, remembering the damage and impact of the Hurricane, and the great food New Orleans had to offer made the immersion one to remember,” he continued.
FOOTSTEPS OF ST. IGNATIUS
In an annual tradition, students traveled across Europe to retrace the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. In partnership with St. Joseph’s Preparatory School from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Daniel Anarelli and Matthew Schaeffer led students through the journey that St. Ignatius took to begin the order of the Jesuits.
The group began in Burgos, Spain, where they studied the early life of St. Ignatius and visited sights significant to his religious journey, before venturing on to Javier, Zaragoza and Manresa, the famed cave that St. Ignatius spent his time reflecting in.
The next leg of the journey was Montserrat, which Luis Toriz ’27 described as the experience he felt was the “most profound … it’s very peaceful and beautiful,” he added.
The second week of the trip took the students all the way to Rome, Italy, where students spent the majority of the trip. They visited the Vatican, the tomb of St. Francis, the tomb of St. Xavier and Basilicas around the city.
William Och ’27 said his favorite part of the trip was “eating gelato around Rome with the kids from St. Joe’s Prep.”
Through visits to different parts of Spain and Italy, they hoped to find the same spiritual connection that St. Ignatius did, hoping to grow their faith.
“This can be a very profound and impactful pilgrimage on how to look at your faith, but only if you involve yourself with trying to change, because if you don’t, then I guess you were there to only meet new people and see churches,” finished Toriz.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Led by Michael Shawver and Luis Artiz, 12 Loyola students traveled to Camino Institute in the Dominican Republic, where they built homes, immersed themselves with the locals and “disconnected to reconnect.”
The students landed in Santiago but quickly left the city for the remote valleys of the Dominican Republic. Surrounded by trees and greenery, they spent a week together rebuilding the home of one of the village’s residents, Andres. They transported bricks, dirt, gravel and bags of cement down the hills to the construction site, and they mixed together the materials to create concrete, pouring the foundation and constructing the walls.
The students had to carry everything in wheelbarrows and buckets, and they mixed the concrete by standing in piles of raw materials and mixing with shovels.
The group was not allowed to access any devices, and while this did mean having to wait on things like calling their parents and checking their final PowerSchool grades, the students practiced hanging out away from devices.
Outside of work, they spent time swinging in the hammocks, reading and staying warm from the seemingly endless rain. Paired with the nighttime journal reflections, the ability for students to take a step back from the constant pull of devices and appreciate what we take for granted in the United States, each person was able to evolve as a student and person.