THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA The Founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) Feast Day: July 31
"Go, and set the world on fire."
Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus, popularly in short as the Jesuits, was born Iñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola, on October 23, 1491 in a castle in Azpeitia, Gipuzkoa, Crown of Castile. His parents, Don Beltrán Ibáñez de Oñaz y Loyola and Doña María Sáenz de Licona y Balda, who were of the minor nobility, from the clan of Loyola, involved in the Basque war of the bands. Íñigo was the youngest of their thirteen children. Their eldest son, Juan Pérez, had soldiered in forces commanded by Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, but died fighting in the Italian Wars.
In 1509, at the age of 18, Íñigo took up arms for Antonio Manrique de Lara, 2nd Duke of Nájera. His diplomacy and leadership qualities earned him the title 'servant of the court', and made him very useful to the Duke. Under the Duke's leadership, Íñigo participated in many battles without injury.
Unfortunately, his ambition of pursuing a military career came to a sudden end during the Battle of Pamplona on May 20, 1521, when he was gravely injured when a French-Navarrese expedition force stormed the fortress of Pamplona, and a cannonball ricocheting off a nearby wall shattered his right leg.
While recovering from his surgery, he asked for some books of romance to pass the time, but none of that sort could be found. Instead, they gave him a life of Christ and a collection of the lives of saints.
Touched by their example, he exclaimed: 'These men were of the same frame as I; why then should I not do what they have done?'
Henceforth, he resolve to become a soldier of Christ and withdrew to a monastery in Manresa (Catalonia). In March 1522, he visited the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat. There, he carefully examined his past sins, confessed, gave his fine clothes to the poor he met, wore a 'garment of sack-cloth', then hung his sword and dagger at the Virgin's altar during an overnight vigil at the shrine.
His religious experience was written down in the famous 'Spiritual Exercises', when Pope Pius XI described as 'the wisest and most universal spiritual code for guiding the soul on the path to salvation.'
After a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Rome, he went to Paris and study at the University of Paris to complete his theological studies in preparation for the priesthood. He attended first the ascetic Collège de Montaigu, moving on to the Collège Sainte-Barbe to study for a master's degree.
There, he organized a new religious order together with Peter Faber and Francis Xavier, which was approved by Pope Paul III in 1540, with the name Society of Jesus. Their battle cry was 'Ad Majorem dei Gloriam' - 'For the greater glory of God'.
Noted for their spiritual and intellectual formation, as well as for their military discipline, the Jesuits, also known as God's Marines, operated with zeal in schools, charitable institutions, and missions overseas. Ignatius was chosen as the first Superior General of the order and invested with the title of 'Father General' by the Jesuits. Ignatius spent the rest of his life in Rome, where he became the friend of Philip Neri.
Worn out by the immense work of directing the new order, Ignatius died peacefully in Rome, on July 31, 1556 at the age of 64, probably of the 'Roman Fever', a severe variant of malaria which was endemic in Rome throughout medieval history. An autopsy revealed that he also had kidney and bladder stones, a probable cause of the abdominal pains he suffered from in later life.
Beatified by Pope Paul V on July 27, 1609, and canonized a saint by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622. Ignatius is the patron saint of the Basque provinces of Gipuzkoa and Biscay as well as of the Society of Jesus. He was declared patron saint of all spiritual retreats by Pope Pius XI in 1922.
