St. Ignatius Loyola
and the Jesuits
St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was a Basque nobleman, author of The Spiritual Exercises, and founder of the Society of Jesus.
The Society of Jesus, colloquially referred to as “the Jesuits,” is a Roman Catholic religious order with communities all over the world.
St. Ignatius Loyola was a sixteenth-century soldier-turned-mystic who founded a Catholic religious order called the Society of Jesus…. And you should care (or, more politely, you’ll be interested to know about him) because his way of life has helped millions of people discover joy, peace, and freedom and, not incidentally, experience God in their daily lives.
- James Martin, SJ, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything
St. Ignatius of Loyola
Nearly every book or article on Ignatian spirituality begins with a retelling of the life of Ignatius. Here’s the short version:
St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491, one of thirteen children in a noble family in the Basque region of modern-day Spain. As a young man, he aspired to be a great soldier and courtier, but this dream was dashed when he was severely wounded in the leg by a cannonball at the Battle of Pamplona in 1521. His leg never fully healed, and he walked with a limp for the rest of his life.
While convalescing in his family’s castle, he read about the life of Jesus and the lives of the saints — purportedly the only books available to him as he lay in bed. His spiritual awakening was kindled, and he gave up his ambitions of worldly glory to pursue a deeper friendship with Jesus. This journey of conversion continued for years as he confronted his sins and discerned where God was leading him. The methods of prayer and spiritual reflection he developed during this time would eventually become The Spiritual Exercises.
Ignatius then went back to school to study for the priesthood. He concluded his studies at a university in Paris, where he met Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, and he shared his spiritual journey with them. In 1534, these early Jesuit companions vowed to dedicate their lives to God and to the Church. They were officially recognized by the pope as the Society of Jesus in 1540.
Ignatius spent the rest of his life in Rome administering this new religious order. He died there in 1556.
The Jesuits
The Society of Jesus, colloquially referred to as “the Jesuits,” is a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded by St. Ignatius Loyola and his companions in 1540.
Jesuits seek to “find God in all things,” dedicating themselves to the “greater glory of God” (ad maiorem dei gloriam, or AMDG) and the good of all humanity.
With 16,000-plus priests, brothers, scholastics and novices worldwide, the Jesuits are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church. Jesuits are pastors, teachers, and chaplains, doctors, lawyers, and astronomers, among many other professions in Church and in secular society.
Jesuits are formed in the rich tradition of Ignatian spirituality, and lean on that tradition in operating colleges and universities (for which they are perhaps best known), secondary and pre-secondary schools, parishes, retreat centers, social justice works, and other ministries around the world.
Fun Fact:
The word "Jesuit" is “of fifteenth-century origin, meaning one who used too frequently or appropriated the name of Jesus.” It was originally used as a pejorative to describe members of the Society of Jesus in the late 1500’s, but was later appropriated by the members themselves.
Source: the Catholic Encyclopedia
St. Ignatius Loyola
The Jesuits
Articles.
by Dorian Llywelyn, SJ (5 minutes read)
What Distinguishes the Jesuits?
by Cardinal Avery Dulles, SJ (8 minute read)
Video.
What Do Jesuits Believe? | Jesuit Autocomplete
by America Media (8 minutes)
Book.
The Jesuits: A History from Ignatius to Present
by John O’Malley, SJ
Jesuit Education
The Jesuits are perhaps best known for being educators. There are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, and 88 secondary or pre-secondary schools. Jesuit education is guided by its commitment to cura personalis, or “care for the whole person,” and forming “women and men for others.”
Click here for a list of Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States.
Click here for a list of Jesuit secondary and pre-secondary schools.