Who was Saint Ignatius of Loyola?

Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) was born into a noble Basque family in northern Spain and raised as a gentleman destined for military service, a vocation filled with chivalric ideals. In 1521, while leading the defence of the citadel of Pamplona, he was struck by a cannonball. During his long convalescence, he read a life of Christ and lives of the saints and found himself inflamed with the desire to serve Jesus.

Leaving his home, Ignatius spent a night in vigil at Mary’s altar in the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat. He lived for nine months in the nearby town of Manresa, praying and serving the poor. During this time, he had mystical experiences and illuminations which later formed the basis of his famous Spiritual Exercises. After a brief stay in the Holy Land, Ignatius returned to Europe determined to acquire the formal education he considered an apostolic necessity for himself and earned a master’s degree from the University of Paris. He gathered a group of students, including Francis Xavier, with whom he shared his eagerness for whole-hearted service of Jesus.

After ordination and a variety of apostolic experiences, Ignatius brought the group to Rome where they offered themselves to the pope to serve as he would direct. Wishing to make their companionship a lasting one, they formed the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). While his companions were sent on missions, Ignatius spent the rest of his life in Rome, directing the rapidly growing order, writing its constitutions, and refining the Spiritual Exercises. He was canonized in 1622 and is a universal patron of retreats and soldiers.

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