Homepage  History  Links  Religious Aspects  Photos   St. Ignatius in Boise  Costume Notes  Members  Videos   Contact Us RELIGIOUS ASPECTS The Feast of Corpus Christi The Onati dancers are cognizant of the fact that these dances possess a special religious essence.  What differentiates these dances is their significance and setting.  To explore this dimension, follow these links:  Liturgical dance St. Ignatius of Loyola www.ignatiushistory.info Boise's St. John's Cathedral   BANAKOA;  The danced Eucharistic Acclamation The feast of Corpus-Christi, literally "the Body of Christ," is well known and celebrated by many Christian denominations.  Celebrated annually the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, the feast originated in 1264 through the efforts of St. Juliana of Cornillon (Belgium) to commemorate the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  About a century later, this celebration reached the Iberian peninsula.  In 1317, Bishop Arnaldo de Barbazan introduced it into Euskal Herria at Iruña-Pamplona.  During the procession, the consecrated host is placed in a special vessel and paraded through the streets of the town as the townspeople join in adoration of the "Body of Christ."  Distinct from other religious rituals of penance or imploring, from its inception the festival of Corpus emphasized adoration and exaltation.  A Papal bull of the 13th century directed Christendom to set this day aside as a celebration.  Each community responded in unique fashion, adopting its own local customs and traditions. Christianity had long been established in Euskal Herria when this this feast day emerged, thus the Euskaldunak labeled it besta berri or "new festival."  The Basques have traditionally celebrated this in distinctive style.  The Basques love of dance made it certain that dancers would join in the celebration of the Body of Christ.  Once widespread throughout Europe and Euskal Herria, many of these colorful celebrations dissipated over time.  Only a handful have endured.  In the provinces of Lapurdi and Benafarroa, they observe this feast day with unique civic-military processions that derive from old French military tunes and personages of the 19th century.  They can still be seen annually in the towns of Iholi, Heleta, Bidarrai, Ortzaize, etc.  When the procession concludes in the town's mains square or plaza with the benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, all are invited to dance the jauziak or circle dances characteristic of that region:  the muxikoa, hegi, maiena, etc.  Meanwhile in Gipuzkoa, they have re-created the ezpata dantza or sword dance performed during the Corpus parade in Donostia.  Its specific name is Jaungoikoaren aurrean--literally "in front of God,"--now performed annually by the Goizaldi dance group of Donostia to commemorate this day.  Whereas the celebration in the Iparralde incorporates elements from the 19th century, and Donostia's is a recreation of lost rituals, in the town of Onati it appears that their celebration has emerged intact and consistent from the 16th century into our times.    "Banakoa" around the altar of St. John's Cathedral The Roman Catholic liturgy continues to make use of song, but somewhere along the way it became essentially devoid of dance.  Liturgical dance characterized many religious celebrations in earlier times, expressing the same joys and affirmation now embodied in song and music.  Once prevalent in Europe, it disappeared over time.  While being notable singers, the Basques nonetheless retained this form of religious response:  the dance as a form of worship and prayer. At the Eucharistic Acclamation the celebrant intones an affirmation, and the congregation responds in kind with a prayer.13  This response is often sung; at this special Basque liturgy the response is danced.  The Reverend Thomas Faucher of Boise, con-celebrating at the Boise Basque mass at which the liturgical dance of Oñati was performed, commented that "the first time I saw this danced prayer I was speechless.  I had read in my liturgical studies of ancient [danced] Eucharistic Acclamations but I never expected to see one, any more than a historian expects to meet Julius Caisar.  But here was such a prayer right in front of me." Loiolatar Iñaki Duena:  St Ignatius of Loyola Over four centuries ago lived a special man.  His name was Iñaki or Ignatius (1491-1556) and around his birthdate of July 31st, we gather to celebrate his life.  Born in Azpeitia, Gipuzkoa, the last of 13 children, the land, wealth and leadership of the Loyola family made them known as the reigning family of the communities 24 families.  As a young man, Iñaki worked at court, a proper role for a man of his status.  He became a soldier and distinguished himself as a leader.  He was carefree and enjoyed the company of women and the single life of bachlorhood.  His carefree days ended when he was wounded in battle against the French in Iruña--Pamplona.  His injured left leg left him immobile, and the return journey to Azpeitia took two weeks.  During his convalescence, Iñaki read and scriptures and underwent a religious conversion.  After recuperating, he made a pilgrimage to eastern Spain to the monastery at Montserrat.  There he lived for a while in contemplative prayer and penance.  Other men aspired to emulate Iñaki, and in the early 1500's he founded an order of priests known then as the Society of Jesus, commonly knows as the Jesuits.  In 1543 Pope Paul III approved the new order of seven men.  It would soon develop into one of the largest and most influential religious order in the Catholic church.  Iñaki lived out his life as a priest and died in Rome.  Pope Gregory XV canonized him in 1622 to commemorate a man's life devoted to the Lord's service.  His motto, taken from his writings, proclaimed:  "For the greater glory of God."       Interior and exterior of St. John's Cathedral in Boise, Idaho