José Luis Iriberri, SJ

Part of the Thankful Thursday Series

The route that Ignatius took from Loyola to Manresa has existed for 502 years now, but the Ignatian Camino in its present form would not exist without the extraordinary commitment of Fr. José Luis Iriberri, Director of the Office of the Ignatian Camino. In addition to organizing and physically leading trips spring through fall each year, he has co-authored (with Chris Lowney) two Camino books:  On the Ignatian Way and Guide to the Ignatian Camino. And now, you can see him for yourself—along with many of the places featured in my book—in a 90-minute YouTube documentary that premiered this summer!

A quick word search of my manuscript reveals that I mention him more than 150 times in 187 pages; clearly, he was an integral part of the experience!  Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 43: “In Praise of Our Fearless Leader.”

Perhaps the shortest and most accurate thing I can say about José Luis Iriberri, SJ, is that he is a true son of Ignatius. (He even looks like the saint, being of Basque descent and cultivating a bit of an Ignatian beard!) He is intimately familiar with the path Iñigo traversed, pointing out churches where he worshipped, buildings where he conducted business, and hostels where he might have stayed.

It is one thing to know about Ignatius, however, and quite another to know Ignatius and to model one’s life after him. That is the experience of traveling with this man: the sense of being in the company of one of Ignatius’s close companions as he guided us through both the outer and inner landscape of the Camino. He was our spiritual guide, in every sense of the term.

Backpack on, walking stick in hand, he moved like a mountain goat, lightly, over any kind of terrain, knowing every twist and turn of those hundreds of miles—most of which he had marked by hand. But he also knew the contours of our hearts, watching us carefully, listening closely to what we said and didn’t say, reading our faces, and offering sage observations. He knew when to encourage a flagging pilgrim, when to offer a bit of respite, when to break the tension with a droll remark, and when to put his foot down if someone’s ambitions exceeded their abilities. Though he could grow exasperated with our ridiculousness, he was completely attentive and caring the moment someone manifested a genuine need.

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José’s helpfulness has continued since our return. When the first draft of my manuscript was complete, I sent it to him for fact-checking.  Just a few days later, I received the electronic document back, marked up in red ink in his own hand.  He caught many errors—from place names I’d gotten wrong to bits of Spanish history I’d misunderstood—which I gratefully corrected. (He also inserted comments like “Oh I don’t think I said that” and “the walk didn’t really take that long,” which I took under advisement.)  He’s even helped with the audiobook: when I discovered a bunch of words in Euskara and Catalan that I wasn’t sure how to pronounce, I sent him a list and he read it into a voice memo for me! The book is so much better for his attentive care, as I was better for his attentive care along the Way. 

The book is so much better for his attentive care, as I was better for his attentive care along the Way.

He also shared these kind words:  Christine catches the spirit of the pilgrimage, living the full experience in her own body and soul and bringing an open mind to both the obstacles and wonders that pilgrims may encounter along the Way. This book will help you to understand the gifts that you would find walking freely in Spain, following the steps of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a saint who lived five hundred years ago but experienced a transformation that is most needed in our twenty-first century.

For this walking example of loving God with one’s whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, I am truly grateful.