St. Ignatius of Loyola

Ignatius was born of a noble family at Loyola, in Cantabria, Spain. He early attended the court of the Catholic king and later embraced a military career. Wounded at the siege of Pampeluna, by chance in his illness he read some pious books, which kindled an eagerness to follow in the footsteps of Christ and the saints.

He went to Montserrat, hung up his armour before the altar of the Blessed Virgin and watched the whole night in prayer. He then went to Manresa, dressed in sackcloth, having given his costly clothing to a beggar. During the next year he lived on bread and water, fasting every day except Sunday, slept on the ground, and scourged himself with iron disciplines.

Afterwards he said that even if the sacred Scriptures did not exist, he would be ready to die for the faith, on account of revelations which the Lord had made to him. Although an uneducated man, he composed the admirable book of the Spiritual Exercises, but never relaxed his zeal for the salvation of others, patiently enduring trials insults, even imprisonment and beatings.

At Paris he was joined by nine companions and there at Montmartre he laid the first foundations of the His meditations, prayers, visions and insights led to forming the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus on Aug. 15, 1534; it received papal approval from Paul III in 1541 and also from the Council of Trent.

Ignatius sent St. Francis Xavier to preach the Gospel in the Indies, and dispersed others to spread the Christian faith in other parts of the world. He made the restoration of piety among Catholics his first care. He increased the beauty of the sacred buildings, the giving of catechetical instructions, the frequency of sermons and of the sacraments. He founded the German College at Rome, refuges for women and young girls in danger, houses for orphans and catechumens of both sexes, and completed many other pious works.

He died in his 65th year, celebrated for miracles and for his great services to the Church. Gregory XV enrolled him among the saints.