In Holy Week of 2019, a small group of pilgrims will set out from St Ignatius Parish, Norwood, (in Adelaide) to make their way to St Aloysius Catholic Church, Sevenhill CIS (in the Clare Valley). The journey of 120 km, will see the group walk through the vineyards and farmlands of the Barossa and Clare Valleys, before making their way along sections of the Mawson and Heysen Trails, before finally walking the Rattler and Riesling Rails Trails to Sevenhill.

Why make a Pilgrimage?
In 1522, Ignatius of Loyola travelled on foot from his home in Loyola, in Euskadi, to Montserrat and Manresa, near Barcelona. This pilgrimage changed his life and shaped his subsequent undertakings, which went on to change the world. For Ignatius, the lessons learnt on the road, and in Manresa, became his greatest gift, namely his Spiritual Exercises, whilst the spirit of  being a pilgrim' informed his choices for the remainder of his life.

Why walk to Sevenhill?
Sevenhill, in the Clare Valley SA, was the birthplace of the Jesuits in Australia after they arrived in Adelaide as chaplains to a group of Austrians that fled Europe to escape political and religious oppression. The new immigrants settled near the township of Clare to the north of Adelaide, and the Jesuits purchased 100 acres of land in 1851, naming it Sevenhill after the Seven Hill district of Rome.

This Sevenhill Pilgrimage is designed to give you a modern-day experience of what Ignatius’ journey might have been like 500 years ago, giving you taste of what it means to be pilgrim on a journey. We start in the Parish of Norwood, which has been in the care of the Jesuits since 1869, and walk for six days (for approximately 17-25 km per day), stopping at a number of local towns along the way, before completing our Pilgrimage at St Aloysius Church at Sevenhill.

This year we will have the added benefit of arriving at Sevenhill in time to celebrate Easter with the local community. This Ignatian Pilgrimage, however, is not so much about the places we visit, as it is about the inner journey and the time given each day for silence, reflection, prayer, spiritual conversation and sharing in small groups.