EUROPE/SPAIN - Religious and musical events and an exhibition on the Legacy of Saint Ignatius of Loyola to mark the 450th anniversary of the death of Saint

Loyola (Agenzia Fides) - In view of the 450th anniversary of the death of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, July 31 2006, who founded the Society of Jesus, as part of Jesuit Jubilee Year celebrations all over the year to mark 500 years since the birth of Francis Xavier and Pedro Favre among the first companions of St Ignatius, a series of musical and religious events and an exhibition have been organised 29 June to 3 September in Loyola (San Sebastián) where the Saint was born in 1491.
Celebrations will start with a special Mass on 29 June in the Basilica of Loyola presided by the Bishop of Loyola Juan María Uriarte. Participants will include prominent members of Society of Jesus and the Basque dioceses and civil authorities. On 22 July Jesuit Father Jon Sobrino will give a conference on "How to follow Christ today?". From 22 to 30 July the novena of St Ignatius will be celebrated and on 31 July, the Saint’s feast day, Archbishop Pedro R. Barreto SJ of Huancayo in Peru will preside a solemn Mass concelebrated by the Jesuit provincial fathers of Europe. The next day a mass in the Basilica will be celebrated by Archbishop Fernando Sebastián Aguilar of Pamplona, and the bishops of: San Sebastián, Bishop Juan María Utriarte; Bilbao, Bishop Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, president of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference; Vitoria, Bishop Miguel Asurmendi Aramendia; and Bayona, Bishop Pierre Molères. From 20 to 26 August there will be an International Congress on Spiritual Exercises, with expert speakers from all over the world. On 3 September a solemn Mass will be presided by Cardinal Roger Etchegaray.
The musical programme includes a series of concerts with the execution of works composed by contemporaries of Saint Ignatius and works connected with the expansion of the Society of Jesus in Asia and America. The programme includes works of Jesuit composers.
Lastly a permanent exhibition on the Legacy of Saint Ignatius of Loyola from the 16th century down to our day, reflecting the thought of the Saint and his historic and religious commitment through the Society of Jesus. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 22/6/2006, righe 30, parole 404)