Jesuit shrines world wide

Loyola, Spain

The family home where St. Ignatius grew up is now surrounded by a basilica and spirituality center. The house was renovated in the late 80's to return to its original condition.

Manresa, Spain

St. Ignatius intended to make a brief visit to the shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat on his way to the Holy Land in 1522. Month after month stretched on as the Pilgrim remained in Manresa struggling with profound spiritual growth. The notes he took during his stay there eventually developed into the Spiritual Exercises. The cave where tradition says he used to go to pray is now a shrine, ensconced within the Jesuit retreat house built on the spot.

Chiesa del Gesù, Rome and the Rooms of St. Ignatius

The tomb of St. Ignatius is in the north transept of the Chiesa del Gesù, the mother church of the Jesuits. Brother Andrea Pozzo used a team of 100 artists to create the ornate side altar containing the remains of Ignatius. Pozzo also painted a corridor outside the rooms of Ignatius in the Jesuit residence next to the church.

Javier, Spain

St. Francis Xavier Javier holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Navarre in the north of Spain who honor their favorite son who was born there in a castle overlooking the valley of Aragón. He became famous as a missionary far from this remote spot on the banks of the river. Located near Sangües and Leyre, the birth place of the saint known in English as Francis Xavier lies on the traditional pilgrim road to Santiago. The castle and the adjoining church added after the death of Xavier have been recently renovated for the five hundredth anniversary of his birth in 1506.

Goa, India: Bom Gesu Church

The body of St. Francis was transferred to Goa in March 1554, and placed in St. Paul's College till 1613, after which it was taken to the Professed House of Bom Jesus. After his canonization in 1622, an exquisite silver coffin was crafted for his holy body, which is now placed in the chapel in the transept on the southern side of the Basilica of Bom Jesus

Chiesa del Gesù, Rome

In the central church of the Jesuits is a shrine honoring St. Francis Xavier and his arm which rests in honor in a side altar in the south transept.

Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio

Sts. Robert Bellarmine, John Berchmans and Aloysius Gonzaga have places of honor in the former church of the Roman College which once housed the novitiate where early Jesuits began their religious life. Elaborate side altars hold the remains of these three saints.

Auriesville, New York

The French Jesuit missionaries known as the North American Martyrs are honored at the Shrine of Our Lady Of Martyrs is a place of natural beauty and spiritual renewal dedicated to the memory of the martyred Jesuits and Blessed Katerina Tekawitha who sanctified this hallowed place. Through the example of the missionaries' courageous faith, these historic grounds are a place of peace, love, prayer, and reconciliation, where each and every pilgrim may be welcomed with joy, and may leave here with a soul refreshed and renewed.

Midland, Ontario, Canada

Martyrs Shrine in Midland, Canada, and the Mission of Sainte Marie among the Hurons, where the honour the eight Jesuit saints who lived, worked and died in this area over 350 years ago. The grounds, including the famous Shrine Church and 75 pleasantly landscaped acres invite you into prayer and tranquility.Come and learn about the Jesuit missionaries, Jean de Brébeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, and their companions who were responsible for bringing Christianity to Canada over 350 years ago!

Paray le Monial, France

Commemorating St. Claude la Colombiere and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Paray le Monial was built around a monastery in the 970s AD. Hugh of Semur, a famous monk and builder laid the foundations of the church that stands today. It was here between 1673 and 1675 that Jesus appeared to a young nun, Margaret-Mary from the Visitation Monastery showing her "this heart that has loved men so much." She and her confessor, the Jesuit priest, Claude la Colombiere, were shaped by the holiness of this message. The town is known worldwide thanks to the popularity of the message of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. For more than 20 years the town and the pilgrimage has been experiencing a renewal, particularly since Pope John-Paul II visited the town and its magnificent basilica.

Nagasaki, Japan

Japanese Martyrs Shrine

This monument, located within a few minutes of Nagasaki station, is dedicated to 26 Christians who were executed in 1596 during a program of persecution. The monument is a long wall with the sculpted figures of the martyrs (including children) mounted on it. There is also a memorial museum, but you can access the monument, however, at all hours.(Phone: +81 (0)95 822 6000 | Open Hours: 9am-5pm daily | Nearest Train: Nagasaki Station)

Santiago de Chile, Chile

Santuario Alberto Hurtado

The sanctuary is located in the neighborhood of Estación Central, near two key historical places in the life of St. Alberto Hurtado: El Hogar de Cristo and the parish of Jesús Obrero. Surrounded by plants, this urban center has become an oasis in the center of the Chilean capital. The shrine opened its doors on 19 November, 1995 as a place for pilgrims to find peace and to encounter the Lord. Around 40,000 people a month visit the sanctuary which contains a library, cafeteria, museum and places for spiritual help.