Today we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, priest and founder of the Society of Jesus. Born in Azpeitia in the Basque province of Guipuzcoa in northern Spain, Inigo de Loyola was the youngest of 13 children. He eventually became an officer in the Spanish army, and, at the battle of Pamplona, his leg was broken by a cannon ball. For the next year, Inigo was bed ridden and spent his time reading about the life of Christ and the saints. He was a mystic and during his conversion, Inigo had a vision of the Mother of God.
In 1534, Saint Ignatius and six others, including Saint Francis Xavier, vowed to live in poverty and chastity and to go to the Holy Land. If going to the Holy Land proved impossible, they vowed to offer themselves to the apostolic service of the pope. The latter became the only choice. Four years later, Ignatius made the association permanent, and Pope Paul III approved the new Society of Jesus. Ignatius was elected to serve as the first general.
Saint Ignatius died peacefully on July 31, 1556, and was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622. He is the patron saint of retreats. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us!
