Fr DAVID NEUHAUS, sj Society of Jesus In his bed, during a convalescence from a terrible wound he had received in battle, reading books about Christ and the Saints, he began to think about what he could in order to imitate the lives of the Saints and Christ...and he immediately connects this quest to Jerusalem. An exceptional pilgrim. It was September 4, 1523 when Ignatius Lopez of Loyola first appeared in Jerusalem. It has been 500 years since that "holy journey" that began and ended with the Holy City. Fr DAVID NEUHAUS, sj Society of Jesus He was a regular pilgrim, led by the Franciscans, living with them, but inside him there was this burning desire to stay in the Holy Land. He received great consolation from visiting the holy places: from the cenacle, he was probably living on Mount Zion with the Franciscans, from the Holy Sepulcher, where he participated in Mass, processions, visiting the Mount of Olives, going to Ein karem, Bethlehem and also coming to Jericho and the Jordan River. When he finally asked Father Guardian's permission to stay, he was informed that it was impossible to stay. Although his desire to stay in Jerusalem to work for good souls animated him all the years from 1521 to 1523, once the Guardian told him no, he accepted this answer. This is something that characterizes Jesuits' obedience to Church authority. Returning from his pilgrimage, the Society of Jesus was approved in Rome in 1540. In Jerusalem, the ancient order founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola has been present since 1913 with the Pontifical Biblical Institute. A presence intended to be a concrete sign of the Saint's desire to be in contact with the Places where the Lord has remained present. Fr MIGUEL ANGEL GARCIA, sj Vice Superior of the Society of Jesus in the Holy Land Since then we have been present in various activities, all related to the biblical world. First through archaeology and, in the last 30/40 years, as a campus of the institute in Rome, for our students who want to spend some time here studying. But the presence of the Society of Jesus is broader. We have Jesuits who have been working at Bethlehem University for 40 years, some companions who work at the Tantur Institute, one of whom is also the director, we have Jesuits who work with migrants, teaching them English. There are some companions who spend their time doing retreats, teaching at the local seminary, or being spiritual leaders. Read More