Saint Ignatius of Loyola
Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556). Spanish founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). A wound sustained in 1521 ended his military career and he turned to religion after reading the Bible during his recovery. The Spiritual Exercises (written 1522-35) were begun during a period of self-imposed austerity. After a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1523-24 he was tried for heresy but acquitted. Ordained in 1537, he obtained papal approval for his new order in 1540; the Jesuits subsequently be-came a leading force in the Counter-Reformation. Loyola established schools, organized missions, and directed the Jesuits until his death. He was canonized in 1622.
