
St. Ignatius
of
Loyola

Our Patron Saint
St. Ignatius of Loyola
Born: c 23 October 1491
Loyola, Gipuzkoa, Basque County
Crown of Castille (currently Spain)
Died: 31 July 1556 (age of 64)
Rome, Papal States
Venerated in: Catholic Church, Anglican Communion
Beatified: 27 July 1609 by Pope Paul V
Canonized: 12 March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV
Feast Day: 31 July (as an obligatory memorial)
Attributes: Eucharist, chasuble, book, cross
Saint Ignatius of Loyola (Basque: Ignazio Loiolakoa: Spanish: Ignacio de Loyola) was a Spanish Basque soldier and libertine, who, after suffering a grave leg injury in battle, reformed and converted to a priest and theologian. He, along with St. Francis Xavier and 5 companions, founded the religious order called the Society of Jesus (known as the "Jesuits") and became its first Superior General. The Jesuit order served the Holy Father in Rome as missionaries - especially to the New World in the 15th to 18th centuries. They were bound by a vow of special obedience to the sovereign pontiff in regard to the missions. They therefore emerged as an important strength during the time of the Counter-Reformation and, later, in the implementation of the Second Vatican Council. Today, they number some 16,000 worldwide.
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St. Ignatius is remembered as a talented spiritual director. He recorded his method in a celebrated treatise called the Spiritual Exercises, a simple set of meditations, prayers, and other mental exercises, first published in 1548.
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St. Ignatius was beatified in 1609, and them canonized, receiving the title of Saint on 12 March 1622. His feast day is celebrated on 31 July. He is a patron saint in the Society of Jesus and was declared patron saint of all spiritual retreats by Pope Pius XI in 1922. St. Ignatius is also a foremost patron saint of soldiers.