Ignatius of Loyola

Lore & Background

Ignatius was born in the castle at Loyola, in the municipality of Azpeitia, Gipuzkoa, in the Basque entities of the Crown of Castile. He was the youngest of thirteen children of minor nobility. After his mother died soon after his birth, he was cared for by the wife of the local blacksmith. He was tonsured at age seven in anticipation of a possible ecclesiastic career, but instead became a page and later a soldier. During convalescence, he read the lives of Christ and the saints, particularly De Vita Christi by Ludolph of Saxony, which inspired his spiritual conversion. He experienced visions, including one of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus, and began formulating the fundamentals of his Spiritual Exercises.

Reader's Guide

Ignatius of Loyola's significance lies in founding the Society of Jesus, a religious order that emphasized missionary work, teaching, and obedience to the Pope through a fourth vow. The Jesuits became instrumental in the Counter-Reformation, shaping Catholic education and global missions. His Spiritual Exercises, a method of meditation and spiritual formation rooted in his own military and mystical experiences, developed into Ignatian spirituality, influencing countless retreats and religious practices. His feast day is 31 July. His legacy endures through the Jesuits' global educational and missionary networks, and his method of discernment remains widely used.

Did You Know?

• Ignatius adopted the surname 'de Loyola' in reference to the Basque village where he was born.
• He instituted a fourth vow for Jesuits of obedience to the Pope, in addition to chastity, obedience, and poverty.