St. Ignatius of Loyola | Founder of the Society of Jesus

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When a cannonball tore through the leg of a young Spanish knight in 1521, no one—least of all Ignatius himself—could have imagined that this battlefield injury would give rise to one of the most powerful spiritual movements in Church history.

Born in 1491 in the castle of Loyola in the Basque region of Spain, Íñigo López de Loyola was the youngest of thirteen children, raised in nobility and trained for courtly life. He was passionate, proud, and enamored with the ideals of knighthood and glory. His early life was marked by vanity, gambling, and military ambition.

All of that changed during the Battle of Pamplona, when a French cannonball crushed his right leg. His painful recovery dragged on for months. With nothing to entertain him except a book on the Life of Christ and a collection of Lives of the Saints, Ignatius began to undergo a spiritual awakening. He noticed that thoughts of worldly fame gave fleeting pleasure—but thoughts of living for God and imitating the saints stirred a joy that lingered. This was the beginning of his famous method of discernment of spirits.

After recovering, he left his noble life behind. He made a pilgrimage to Montserrat, where he laid down his sword before the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and then lived as a beggar in a cave near Manresa for nearly a year. There he endured spiritual trials and mystical graces, recording the seeds of what would later become his Spiritual Exercises—a rigorous 30-day retreat designed to train the soul in prayer, discernment, and total surrender to God’s will.

Determined to serve God fully, Ignatius went back to school—starting with Latin grammar in his 30s—and eventually earned a theology degree at the University of Paris. It was there he gathered companions like St. Francis Xavier, St. Peter Faber, and others who would become the founding members of the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits.

Approved by Pope Paul III in 1540, the Jesuits took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience—with a special fourth vow of obedience to the pope. Their mission was simple and radical: to go wherever the Holy Father needed them, defending the faith through preaching, education, and missionary work.

Under Ignatius’s leadership, the Jesuits rapidly became one of the most dynamic forces in the Catholic Reformation, founding schools, colleges, and missions across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Ignatius himself remained in Rome as Superior General, tirelessly writing constitutions, offering spiritual direction, and ensuring his men were both holy and highly trained.

He died on July 31, 1556, and was canonized in 1622 alongside St. Francis Xavier and St. Teresa of Ávila.

His motto, "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam"—“For the Greater Glory of God”—still burns in the heart of every Jesuit, and his Spiritual Exercises continue to guide souls around the world toward deeper intimacy with Christ.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us—
that we may discern God’s will with courage,
and live our lives for His greater glory.

Suscipe (Latin for "Receive")

Take, Lord, and receive
all my liberty,
my memory,
my understanding,
and my entire will—
all that I have and possess.

You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.

All is yours;
do with it what You will.

Give me only Your love and Your grace,
for that is enough for me.

Amen.

Feast Day: July 31 | Founder of the Jesuits | Patron of Spiritual Retreats, Soldiers, and Educators