July 31: Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus
Finding God in All Things
Saint Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491 at the Loyola Tower House in the Basque Country, Spain. His original name was Iñigo, and he was the youngest son in a large family with thirteen siblings.
At around the age of fifteen, he was sent to live with families close to the court of the King of Castile. There he received a cultural education and later trained in politics and military strategy. These experiences, along with his fondness for books about heroic knights, fueled his aspirations for greatness and fame.
Until the age of 26, he lived in pursuit of worldly glory and was particularly drawn to military life and the honors it promised. On May 20, 1521, during a battle at Pamplona—where the French were attempting to capture the city—even though many of his comrades had fled, he stayed to fight. Aware that his chances of victory were slim, he refused to retreat out of pride. However, during the combat, he was struck by a cannonball that shattered one leg. As he fell, he severely injured the other leg as well.
During his recovery, he asked for books about chivalry, but since there were none in the house, his sister-in-law Magdalena lent him two religious books: The Life of Christ and another about the saints. While reading them, he discovered a new kind of “chivalry,” centered on Jesus. He began to feel a desire to follow Christ and travel to the Holy Land.
Guided by this inner calling, he began his spiritual journey. At the Marian shrine of Montserrat, as a symbol of transformation, he left his elegant clothes and sword before the Virgin Mary. He then settled in Manresa, where he spent a long time in prayer, helping the sick, and living an austere life. With renewed zeal, he decided to go to the Holy Land to visit the places where Jesus had lived. Although his stay there was brief, it became clear to him that he needed intellectual preparation to serve more effectively.
Back in Europe, he devoted himself to academic studies in order to teach and guide others on their spiritual paths. In Paris, he met Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, with whom he formed a strong friendship and a small group dedicated to serving God.
They lived in community, supporting each other in their studies, preaching and sharing what they had. This lifestyle, centered on Jesus, attracted other young men with the same ideal. Their initial intention was to travel together to the Holy Land, but wars prevented them. So they decided to offer themselves to the Pope, to be sent wherever the Church most needed them.
In 1540, Pope Paul III officially approved the foundation of the Society of Jesus. The first members took a special fourth vow of obedience to the Pope, committing to go without delay to any place where they were needed.
Ignatius died on July 31, 1556, in Rome. His remains are preserved in the Church of the Gesù.