BRIFFA, Josef Mario (2023) Ignatius in the Holy Land. A Guided Pilgrimage. Dublin: Messenger Publications. Paperback, 115 pages, colour photographs. €19.95

ISBN: 9781788126175.

… when he thought of going barefoot to Jerusalem
and eating nothing but herbs
and of imitating the saints in all the austerities they practised,
he not only found consolation in these thoughts,
but even after they had left him he remained joyful and happy.

Autobiography no. 8

Five hundred years ago, before he founded the Society of Jesus, St Ignatius set off on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Crossing the Mediterranean, he dodged Turkish troops, bribed soldiers with knives and scissors, and asked the Franciscans to let him stay permanently. They sent him packing, and the rest is history.
It’s hard to know where to start with one of the most revered places on the planet. The Holy Land can intimidate even the seasoned pilgrim and confound the most knowledgeable historian. Now you can experience the Holy Land through the eyes of St Ignatius, following in his footsteps on this little-known but life-changing pilgrimage.

With Josef Mario Briffa SJ as your guide, you enter the carefully reconstructed world of the pilgrim Ignatius, experiencing the Holy Land of today using the roadmap of the past. Familiar places, like the route of the Via Dolorosa, are reinterpreted and re-ordered through the wandering feet of the sixteenth-century pilgrim. Layer upon layer, the Holy Land opens up, from the port of Old Jaffa to the walls of Jerusalem and the manger of Bethlehem.
Complete with beautiful photographs, detailed maps and itineraries, and biblical and Ignatian references, Briffa’s fascinating guide to the Holy Land is the perfect companion for the armchair traveller and pilgrim
alike.

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You may order it directly from the publisher (Messenger Publications), click here.

If you’re in Rome, Jerusalem, or Malta, you may also contact me directly.

Last updated 18.02.2024