Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Ignatius of Loyola was born Inigo Lopez de Loyola in 1491 in the Basque region of Spain. A soldier and courtier, he was wounded by a cannonball at Pamplona in 1521. During his long recovery, reading the lives of Christ and the saints redirected his ambition from worldly glory to service under Christ the King.

Ignatius studied in Spain and Paris, gathered companions including Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, and founded the Society of Jesus, approved by Pope Paul III in 1540. His Spiritual Exercises became one of the Church’s most influential tools for discernment. He died in Rome in 1556, leaving a legacy of missionary zeal, education, spiritual discipline, and finding God in all things.

Prayer: Saint Ignatius of Loyola, teach us to discern God’s will and serve Christ with generous hearts. Amen.