<strong>Where would you go?</strong>
I would like to walk from Loyola to Montserrat. Loyola is in the Basque country – it’s the birthplace of St Ignatius. It’s a route Ignatius himself did. He was a soldier, and after the battle of Pamplona he was laid up with injuries from a cannonball. He read all sorts of romance stories, but his sister-in-law kept giving him stories of the saints and those stories changed his life. At Montserrat, he laid his sword at the statue of the Black Madonna. He went from there to study at the Sorbonne. I was educated by the Jesuits at Heythrop College, so I feel an affinity with Ignatius. Also, the Jesuit scholars that I studied with all did that pilgrimage when they were novices. I’d start in Loyola on the feast of the Assumption, which is wonderfully celebrated in the Basque country. It would be hot, so we’d wear hats and drink water.
<strong>Would you make any special stops</strong>? <br><br>I’d definitely like to stop in Xavier in Navarre. St Francis Xavier’s home is there; he was one of St Ignatius’s companions. In fact, I went there on my honeymoon, and I remember the Poor Clares saying the Rosary behind the grill. Once in Catalonia, I’d like to go to Manresa, where Ignatius – after Montserrat – had his time of deep reflection, partly in a cave. In Montserrat, I’d like to climb the mountain. The abbot’s table at the monastery is famous, and I’d like to spend the night with the Black Madonna. It would be great to do a vigil.
<strong>Whom would you take?</strong> <br><br>I would take friends from Heythrop. There would be John, a Jesuit priest, a scholar and (really helpfully) a linguist, who’d speak Basque. We could have philosophy debates. Also Paul, a Jesuit scholar who left to become a social worker and is soon to become a deacon. He has the real Ignatian spirit, to set the world on fire. My husband was also a Jesuit novice; he decided it wasn’t for him. They’ve all done the pilgrimage and when they get together they all talk about it. When Jesuits have been novices for two years they’re given a couple of hundred pounds and told to go to Montserrat and get back to Loyola. It was quite the journey. You had to hitchhike, walk or whatever. They have so many stories.
<strong>You can transplant your favourite pub, bar or restaurant onto the route. What is it?</strong>
In the Basque country they have gastronomic clubs, run by men where they congregate and cook. They’re all different and the cooking is amazing. I’m sure I could talk my way in.
<strong>Camp under the stars or find a church hall to sleep in?</strong>
Camp under the stars! It’s so beautiful in the foothills of the Pyrenees. I’d send my husband ahead to set up the tents and the campfires.
<strong>Which books would you take with you?</strong>
Obviously, the <em>Spiritual Exercises</em> of St Ignatius. All my companions would have done the <em>Spiritual Exercises</em> as Jesuit novices. I’d also take Fr Philip Endean SJ’s book on the life of St Ignatius. But most of all it would be conversation rather than books. John is a great Plato scholar. I imagine we’d debate Plato and Aristotle and the philosophical problems of our day.
<strong>What spiritual text would you ponder as you walked?</strong>
Isaiah. I’m very into Isaiah and the other Old Testament prophets. It’s part of my job, thinking about changing society to be better for children. And, because picturing yourself in the gospels is a very Ignatian thing, one of the gospels too.
<strong>What’s your go-to prayer?</strong>
It has to be the Rosary. We’re on a Marian pilgrimage going to Montserrat. I find it very calming. As a good member of the Legion of Mary as a child I experienced its hypnotic effect. It allows you to drop out of your head and into your inner self. That’s why I would find it useful when walking long distances. The rosary helps you to be in the moment. I can imagine while walking in that heat we’d need something to keep us going.
<strong>What’s the singalong to keep everyone’s spirits up?</strong> <br><br>I’m the worst person to ask! It all depends on my mood. It could be anything from Mahler to Strauss’s <em>Four Last Songs</em>. I love hymns and I often catch myself singing hymns from my childhood, like “Soul of My Saviour” and “Sweet Sacrament Divine”.
<strong>You’re allowed one luxury – what is it?</strong>
A bottle of local Basque red wine. At the end of the evening, we could have a small glass each. We could also use it on our blisters.
<strong>What would you miss most about ordinary life?</strong>
I’d probably leave all technology at home. Being disconnected from the news would be really tough but very good for me. It’s something I advise: that children should get off their phones more. It’s very difficult but good. <br><em><br>Photo: Dame Rachel de Souza; image courtesy Children’s Commissioner’s Office.</em>
<em>Dame Rachel de Souza is the Children’s Commissioner for England.</em><br><br><strong><strong>This article appears in the Summer Special July/August 2024 issue of the <em>Catholic Herald</em>. To subscribe to our award-winning, thought-provoking magazine and have independent and high-calibre counter-cultural Catholic journalism delivered to your door anywhere in the world click <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/subscribe/?swcfpc=1"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">HERE</mark></a></strong></strong>.
