By Martins Emeka Duru, SJ

From the eternal city, where ancestral whispers merge with divine murmurs, I (with 15 of my Jesuit companions) embarked on a spiritual journey – the Arrupe Month, to Spain. Arrupe Month, as the term denotes, dates back to 1980 when the 28^th Superior General of the Jesuits, Fr Pedro Arrupe requested all Major Superiors to “provide for the scholastics (in theology) a privileged experience of prayer, reflection and direction in order to complete the ‘appropriate spiritual preparation’ (for priestly ministry) required by General Congregation 32. Its purpose will be the further deepening of each scholastic’s commitment to his vocation so that he may make his definitive election about answering the call to (priestly) ordination in the greatest possible knowledge and freedom.” (Letter “On Preparation for Ordination”, 27 December 1979).

The Arrupe Month program at the International College of the Gesù in Rome, the college founded by Arrupe in 1968, is structured in three phases: the Pilgrimage to the Ignatian sites in Spain, the Talks/Group sharing on various themes – such as the Ministerial priesthood in today’s world, our Jesuit identity and important documents, Affective-sexual integration in consecrated celibacy, The Priestly Choice of Ignatius and his Companions – and, lastly, the Ignatian eight days’ retreat.

This reflective account distills my experiences of the various Ignatian sites, where the confluence of history, spirituality, and natural beauty created the sacred space for this “appropriate spiritual preparation”. The pilgrimages to the vibrant streets of Barcelona, walking along Carrer de Sant Ignasi, the majestic Catalonian Gothic architecture of Santa María del Mar where St Ignatius begged for sustenance,the sacred serene landscape of Manresa and the Cave where Ignatius wrote the Spiritual Exercises, the rugged mountains and majestic valleys of Montserrat where he surrendered his sword to the Black Madonna and took on the Pilgrim’s cloak, the historical street of the famous battle of Pamplona where the cannonball experience reshaped his destiny, and finally, the Kairos moment of visiting Loyola, the place of birth of St Ignatius, convey the spiritual legacy of St Ignatius and the transformative power of these sacred sites, where the boundaries between past and present, self and Divine, dissolve.

Standing within Loyola Castle’s ancient walls was very consoling and it invited me to embrace and deepen my roots. In this crucible of transforming pilgrimage, the Arrupe Month unfolded as a tapestry of epiphanies, weaving together threads of faith, insights, awe, doubt, and surrender. Each day, a sacred drumbeat echoed within my heart, calling forth the priestly rhythms that lay dormant, awaiting awakening. And in the stillness, I heard the whispered invitation: “Come, follow the path that unveils before you, and let the Divine finger trace the contours of your soul”.

This month of discernment was an invitation for me to seek again the footprints of the Divine in my vocation. Like a river flowing effortlessly to its source, I found myself surrendering to the gentle currents of contemplation and discernment, in the footsteps of St Ignatius. The rustling leaves of prayer, the warmth of communal fires, and the majestic silence of the night examen awakened desires within me. As the winds of self-discovery swept through me, I confronted my shadows, embracing the vulnerability of my humanity. And like the majestic Baobab, standing resilient against the tempests of time, I discovered strength in my fragility to say “YES” to the Lord. The various workshops and group sharing was like a “head-heart” insight on the key documents of the Society, the emerging questions of faith, consecrated celibacy, Jesuit identity and spirituality, while fostering an integration of my personal and spiritual growth with effective apostolic service. The question before me was, “Am I weak enough to be a priest?”

The eight days Spiritual Exercises in Loyola provided me with a sacred space to bring these experiences/questions to God; to discern, to renew and to respond in freedom. I encountered the transformative power of God’s love, the beauty of vulnerability and the presence of the Divine in the ministerial priesthood. It was an invitation to deepen my identity as a Jesuit, to listen to the call of the Eternal king and also, a reminder that the priesthood is a gift that I ought to hold as a treasure in an earthen vessel. Arrupe Month stands as a preparation and a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for self-discovery, depth, renewal, and sanctification.

By establishing a specific month of reflection, discernment, and apostolic exploration, Pedro Arrupe demonstrated prophetic leadership, guiding Jesuit scholastics toward spiritual renewal, global solidarity, and apostolic innovation. By focusing on spiritual formation, Arrupe underscored the importance of interior depth and rootedness in Ignatian spirituality in navigating a world of evolving complexities. These experiential reflections of mine can attest to that. I am indeed grateful.