The Four “Mary’s” of St. Ignatius Loyola – Part II

(Sharing at the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on 24 Nov 2012)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ

In our last sharing, walking through St. Ignatius Loyola’s life in our Santa Maria della Strada Chapel, we stopped at the image of Our Lady of Montserrat. Let us continue our ‘journey’.

After Manresa, Ignatius went to the Holy Land. However, he was compelled to return to Europe for his safety, as the Turks were ruling there then. Ignatius then realised that to help others, he had to study. So at 33, he went back to studies. Circumstances forced him to move from Barcelona to Alcalá, Salamanca and finally Paris. He attracted many students. Six of them, which included St. Francis Xavier, eventually became his closest companions. In 1534 in the chapel of Montmatre, they took vows of perpetual chastity and poverty and upon completing their studies, to be of service to the Pope.

In 1537, all of them except for Peter Favre, who was already a priest then, received the Holy Orders. Still unable to go to the Holy Land, the seven companions went to Rome to offer their services to the Pope. On the way, at La Storta, Ignatius had a vision of God the Father “placing him with His Son”, Jesus Christ, as he had asked Mary to obtain for him. This was the most significant affirmation for him and later on, the Society of Jesus. On 27 September 1540, Pope Paul III approved the formation of the Society of Jesus. Ignatius was unanimously chosen general on 7 April 1541. On 22 April, the same year, the Friday of Easter week, at the basilica of St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls, before the Theotokos Hodigitria icon, the friends pronounced their final vows in the newly formed Order. The icon is the third stained glass image from the back of our chapel.

Sometimes called “Our Lady of the Way”, or Queen of the Society of Jesus, it is among the most classical, most ancient and permanent of Marian icons^[1]. According to legend, St. Luke painted the first Hodigitria, which means 'Pointer of the Way' or 'Guide of the Church.' In the icon, Our Lady points to her Child as if to say, look at him, not me.^[2] “This is the way, he is your life, way and truth.”^[1] Mary leads us to Christ, she herself is “the Sign” of the way^[3]. The simple and beautiful Marian way teaches that our existence, lived in faith, hope and charity, is for others, leading them to Christ^[1]. The Pope reminded us of this, too, in the Year of Faith.

Later, Pope Paul III gave the newly approved Society a small church after its former pastor and owner, Peter Codacio, became a Jesuit. This was the church of Santa Maria della Strada, erected by the Astalli family in the 5^th century in Rome. In it was the original fresco of the Madonna della Strada, painted likely in the 13^th to 14^th century^[4]. The Jesuits built their house beside the church, which was their urban missionary headquarters. In 1568, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese erected the Jesuits’ mother church, the Church of the Gesù, over this church. 

Following the tradition, to commemorate the original church, a chapel dedicated to Santa Maria della Strada was built in the new church. The icon became the main alterpiece in this chapel and venerated as miraculous and very dear to St. Ignatius. In our chapel, the stained glass image nearest to the altar is modeled after this icon.

Santa Maria della Strada, or Our Lady of the Way, is the patroness of the Society of Jesus. Her intercession was claimed to have protected Ignatius during battle as a soldier. In the Church of the Gesù, the icon is strategically placed between the altar dedicated to St. Ignatius and the main altar dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. The chapel location shows Mary’s intercessory role.^[5] Also called “Our Lady of the Wayside”, and in Western Europe “Our Lady of the Street”, the icon is sometimes used to symbolize poverty, the homeless, etc.^[6]. Overall, the image evokes trust in the Son and the Mother’s intercession with him^[4].

The Society of Jesus became the largest religious order that won over multitudes of souls to Christ, making their mark in diverse fields, especially education. The Jesuits played a vital role in countering the Protestant Reformation, keeping the Church of Christ intact. Imitating St. Ignatius’ fervour and placing our prayers in Mary’s hands while contemplating the Lord in our Chapel, we could perhaps find strength to answer the Pope’s call – “to rediscover the content of the faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed, and to reflect on the act of faith”. Then, we can be credible life-giving witnesses of Christ.^[7]

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[1] Marian Icons -- A Way to Devotion. (n.d.) In Mary in Catholic Teaching: Session 4: Growing in Knowledge. Retrieved 2 Sept 2012 from http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/buby/session_4.htm)

[2] Vinie, M. (n.d.). [Course material]. Retrieved 2 Sept 2012 from http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/icon3.html

[3] Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2674

[4] Chapel of Our Lady of the road. (17 May 2010). Retrieved 17 Nov. 2010 from http://www.chiesadelgesu.org/html/d_cappella_madonna_della_strada_it.html

[5] Bonacci, L.A. (n.d.) [Q&A]. Retrieved 13 Nov 2010 from http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/questions/yq/yq115.html

[6] [Part of Q&A]. Retrieved 17 Nov. 2010 from http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/questions/yq/yq15.html.

[7] Benedict XVI. (11 Oct 2011). Porta fidei. Retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20111011_porta-fidei_en.html, n. 9.