St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest and Founder

Hagiography of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest and Founder, 1491-1556 A.D.

Introduction

St. Ignatius of Loyola used three names to refer to himself: Iñigo de Loyola, Ignacio de Loyola, and Ignatius de Loyola. It is the third name which many use to refer to him. Together with a few companions, he founded a religious order of men called the Society of Jesus. They use the IHS monogram which many of the universities and libraries in Europe bear. These buildings were once owned by the Jesuits [members of that Society] who had a strong influence in the education of many nobles and royalty in Europe. They were part of the scientific revolution, the exploration of nature and the world - sending ships beyond Europe to extend discoveries and the many missionary endeavors to the "new" lands. Their missionary and educational efforts spread to India, China, Japan, Mexico, and then to Brazil, Paraguay, Canada, the Midwest of the United States, and California. The leader and founder of this group of men was Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola was born into a Basque family of minor nobility with no great wealth or important connections. His education was not extensive. He never rose to any high rank in the Church and was not a charismatic preacher. However, he became one of the great leaders and organizers of Counter-Reformation Europe. The instrument of his success was a written practical guide called "Spiritual Exercises" - a set of brief instructions for spiritual renewal that he composed during his convalescence after his injury in the siege of Pamplona.

More biographical data on St. Ignatius of Loyola and the founding and growth of the religious order he led:

• 1491 - Born in Loyola, probably before the 23rd of October
• 1505 October 23 - Azpeitia. Acts as witness on the sale of a horse
• 1506 - Travels to Arévalo as the page of Juan Velázquez de Cuéllar, main accountant of the Catholic King Ferdinand
• 1515 February 20 - Azpeitia. Brought to court by the magistrate of Guipuzcoa Hernández de la Gama, on what was considered a serious case against him
• 1517 - Joins a gentleman the service of Antonio Manrique de Lara, duke of Nájera, viceroy of Navarre
• 1520 - Participates in the military occupation f Nájera
• 1521 May 17-18 - Leads a garrison of auxiliary troops to Pamplona.
  
  May 19 - Does not allow for the fortress to be surrendered to the French troops.
  
  May 20 - Is wounded in the right leg defending the castle and receives medical care from the French doctors.
  
  May 23 - The castle of Pamplona surrenders.
  
  June 2-5 - Is taken to Loyola.
  
  June 24 - Receives the last sacraments.
  
  June 28 - Begins to recover.
  
  August-September - Asks for reading material, exciting romances about knights, which were then fashionable reading. They give him, for lack of these books, the lives of the saints. From now on he aims to imitate them. Conversion.
  
  October-December - Looks for signs in the readings of Vita Christi by the Carthusian Ludolph of Saxony, which had been translated into Spanish and given a preface by the Franciscan Fray Ambrosio de Montesino. He also came across some lives of the saints (Flos Sanctorum) written by the Dominican Bishop Jacobus de Voraigne, with an introduction by the Cistercian Fray Gauberto Maria Vagad


• 1522 February - Leaves for Aránzazu, Navarrete, and Montserrat.
  
  March - Reaches Montserrat.
  
  March 22-24 - General confession.
  
  March 25 - Descends to Manresa, where he dedicates himself to a life of prayer and penance.
  
  August-September - Has vision by the Cardoner River. Inner transformation. Begins to write the Spiritual Exercises


• 1523 - February - Arrives in Barcelona on his way to Jerusalem.
  
  September 4 - Arrives in Jerusalem


• 1524 - Returns to Barcelona at the beginning of February
• 1525 - Spends the whole year in Barcelona studying grammar
• 1526 - Travels to Alcalá to study humanities.
  
  November 21 - Juan Rodríguez de Figueroa, Vicar-General of Alcalá, dictates sentence against Ignatius
  
  December - Ignatius and his three companions are asked to wear different clothing and shoes


• 1527 March 6 - The Inquisition goes against him.
  
  April 18-19 - Goes to jail.
  
  May 2-21 - Third bout with the Inquisition.
  
  June 1 - Sentence of Figueroa against Ignatius. Ignatius leaves jail about the 21st of June. Leaves Alcála.
  
  July, early - Arrives in Salamanca.
  
  July, towards the end - Encounter with the Dominicans. Goes to jail after three days.
  
  August 20-22 - Is absolved by the Inquisition but is forbidden to teach theological matters without studying theology. Leaves jail.
  
  September - Leaves Salamanca and via Barcelona leaves for Paris. His companions abandon him


• 1528 February 2 - Arrives in Paris. Lives in a hospital. Studies Latin at Montaigu College.
  
  April, past the 12th - Moves to the pilgrim hospice of St. Jacques for lack of money


• 1529 Lent - First trip to Bruges, where he met with Luis Vives, Erasmus' best disciple.
  
  May-June - Gives the Exercises to Peralta, Castro, and Amador.
  
  September - Moves to the College of Sante-Barbe in Paris.
  
  October 1 - Starts his studies in philosophy and becomes friendly with Peter Faver and Francis Xavier


• 1530-1531 - Travels to Antwerp and London
• 1532 - Becomes a Bachelor of Arts
• 1534 April - Obtains his Master of Arts degree, and is known as master Ignatius.
  
  August - Ignatius and his friends, Nicolás Bobadilla, Peter Faver, Diego Laínez, Símon Rodríguez, Alfonso Salmerón and Francisco de Xavier met in the Chapel of the Martyrs in Montmartre to take their vows and lead a radically apostolic life according to the Gospel. The vows they took were of poverty, chastity, and to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. If the pilgrimage proved impossible, they proposed to put themselves at the direct service of the Pope, for in their opinion, he had the best overall view of the needs of Christendom


• 1535 - Returns to Spain to recover his health
• 1536 - Goes to Venice to study theology and give the exercises
• 1537 - His companions from Paris arrive and work at the hospitals.
  
  June - Becomes a priest
  
  November - Has the vision at La Storta. Enters Rome


• 1538 June-August - Persecution in Rome is resolved in Ignatius' favor
  
  November 18-23 - Unable to go to Jerusalem, the first companions put themselves at the service of the pope


• 1539 March - Deliberation to form a religious order
  
  May 4 - First decision about the society
  
  June-August - The first draft of the society is prepared
  
  September 3 - Pope Paul III approves the new society


• 1540 March 4 - Simón Rodríguez leaves on his way to India
  
  March 16 - Francis Xavier leaves for India
  
  September 27 - The Society of Jesus is officially approved with the bull Regimini militantis Ecclesiae, limiting the number of members to 60


• 1541 March 10 - The constitutions of the society are drafted
  
  April 8 - Ignatius is unanimously chosen as general of the new society
  
  April 19 - Ignatius accepts


• 1544 February 2 - March 13 - Writes the Spiritual Diary
  
  March 14 - New bull Iniunctum nobis reconfirming the society and removing the limitation of 60 members.


• 1544-1552 - Runs the society spreading all over the world and finishes writing the constitutions
• 1554 April - Is ill and health deteriorates
  
  October 26 - Accepts as a member of the society the daughter of King Charles V, Doña Juana de Austria, the only woman Jesuit


• 1556 July 30 - Ignatius dies
  
  August 1 - He is buried


• 1622 March 12 - He is canonized by Gregory XV
• 1922 July 25 - Ignatius is proclaimed Patron of all Spiritual Exercises and works related to them by Pius XI.

Related resources:

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• "A Year with the Saints" by Don Bosco Press, Inc.
• "Saints for Our Time" by Ransom