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St Ignatius of Loyola was born on the 24 December 1491 in the Basque region of Spain. He was the youngest of 13 children. As a young boy Ignatius was tendered by the ideas of love, knighthood and dreamed of doing great deeds.
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When he was old enough he worked as a page at Arevalo, near Valldolid.
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Ignatius father died and St Ignatius went into military service for the Duke of Navarre.
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A cannonball severely injured his leg, after a series of operations his military career ended. This happened during the Seige of Pamplona.
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Whilst Ignatius was healing from his injury he experienced a conversion. He read the lives of Jesus and the saints which made him happy. Ignatius realised that those feelings were signs to God's direction for him. He decided to dedicate himself to becoming a soilder of the Catholic Faith.
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Ignatius was uninformed of latin which was a necessary introductory to universary studies. St Ignatius started private studies of Latin grammar with young boys in a school in Barcelona. He also studied the first text of Spiritual Exercises.
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Ignatius became an expert in spiritual direction. He wrote The Spiritual Exercises which was a collection of his insights, prayers and suggestions. This book is one of the most influential books of the spiritual life that has ever been written.
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Ignatius moves to Alcala (along with three followers) for University studies. There he would gather students and adults to explain the Gospel to them and teach them how to pray. He was thrown into jail for 42 days. When he was released he was told to avoid teaching others.
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Ignatius moved to the University of Salamanca. Within two weeks the Dominicans had him thrown into prison, but they could find no heresy in what he taught. He was told that he could only teach children.
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He began at the university of Paris studying Latin Grammar and Literature, philosophy and theology. He would spend a few months each summer begging in Flanders for the money he would need to support himself in his studies for the rest of the year.
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St Ignatius and six of his followers took vows of poverty and chastity. They decided to go to the Holy Land, but after a year of waiting, no ship was able to take them to the holy land due to the conflict between the Muslims and Christians. While they were waiting they spend some time working in hospitals and teaching catechism in various cities of Northern Italy.
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Ignatius ordanied as a priest. St Ignatius was made a priest on St John the Baptist's feast day. He did not say Mass for another year, it is thought that he wanted to say his first Mass in Jerusalem where Jesus had lived.
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St Ignatius lived in th same era as Martin Luther. The Pope gave Ignatius and the society of Jesus the responsibility of reducing the effects from Luther and the Reformation. Martin wrote that repentance is the first step to salvation whereas Ignatius expressed that guilt should be dealt with the beating of the body and seeking supernatural experinces.
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St Ignatius founded the Soceity of Jesus, also called the Jesuit. Ignatius imagined the Jesuits as "contemplatives in action". Many people have been touched by his spirituality. 38 members of the Society of Jesus were declared blessed and 38 have been canonized as saints, including St Francis Xavier.
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Ignatius was elected as the first Superior General of ' Society of Jesus'.
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St Ignatius and the Jesuits fought the Protestant Reformation and promoted counter-reformation. They were also sent by popes into the heart of Protestantism to 'win back lost souls'.
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Ignatius book Spiritual Exercises was approved by Pople Paul lll and was published.
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Pope Juluis lll confirmed the Society of Jesus.
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On July 30 Ignatius asked one of his followers to get the Popes blessing for him, suggesting that he was dying, however he trusted the physician more than Ignatius (the physician thought he would last the summer) and suggested that the next day he would go because he was busy. Shortly after midnight Ignatius got even worse so his follower rushed to the Vatican but it was to late. Ignatius died in Rome at the age of 65 due to stomach ailment.
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Ignatius was beatified by Pope Paul V.
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After 13 years from when he was beatified, Ignatius was canonized by Pope Gregory XV along with St Francis Xavier. His feast day is celebrated on July 31 each year (the day he died). St Ignatius is the patron saint of spiritual exercises, retreats and soldiers.
