The Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies at Boston College released the enhanced Journey With Ignatius virtual pilgrimage app, available now as a free download for all iOS and Android devices.

Last year, the app «Journey With Ignatius» was created by a former BC student, who did all of the coding for us.  This app offers a virtual pilgrimage based on the life of Saint Ignatius Loyola, following his pilgrim journey from Loyola to Rome, which led to the founding of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuit Order, in 1540.  The app features a unique weekly location and an accompanying theme, both of which are introduced through videography and key excerpts from the biography and autobiography of St. Ignatius.  The app aims to facilitate users’ growth in mind, body, and soul by featuring daily readings from Jesuit Sources, a Sacred Scripture verse for daily prayer, and the tracking of participants’ steps.  There is also weekly content for further prayer and reflection, based on each week’s theme, including a community forum to share reflections and engage with and pray for other pilgrims from around the world.

The app was piloted for iOS devices in September 2020. We had a lot of interest, with over 6,000 downloads in over 70 different countries, and there was a lot of demand to make the app available for Android devices.  So, we decided to engage a developer and make some enhancements to the app, along with creating an Android version.

The robust update includes daily content from students of Jesuit and Cristo Rey high schools from around the world, an exciting new layout and design, relics that reflect Jesuitica which can be unlocked as the user progresses through the journey, and enhancements to the community forum, we also included a 400 mile (~800,000 step) challenge to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the canonizations of Ignatius and Francis Xavier. We think it’s a very fitting way to connect with Ignatius more deeply during the Ignatian Year.

We invite you to download the «Journey with Ignatius» app and to join us on a virtual pilgrimage with a community of prayer.