Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was trained as a page at the court of Castile and served as Spanish knight. Wounded at the siege of Pamplona in 1521, he underwent a deep conversion, eventually travelling to Jerusalem to study, following the example set by such figures as that of Francis of Assisi. He attracted like-minded students, and in 1534 they took vows and formed the Society of Jesus, popularly known as the Jesuits. He was elected superior general and lived in Rome, organizing the...See more

Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was trained as a page at the court of Castile and served as Spanish knight. Wounded at the siege of Pamplona in 1521, he underwent a deep conversion, eventually travelling to Jerusalem to study, following the example set by such figures as that of Francis of Assisi. He attracted like-minded students, and in 1534 they took vows and formed the Society of Jesus, popularly known as the Jesuits. He was elected superior general and lived in Rome, organizing the astonishing spread of the Jesuits and emerging as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation. He was canonized in 1622. See less