(1491-1556)

Founder of the Jesuits – The Society of Jesus

Ignatius was born to a noble Spanish family and lived a life of privilege as a youth. A gallant soldier in the French and Spanish war, Ignatius was wounded in battle and spent months in convalescence at the Castle of Loyola. There, he studied the only literature available – the Lives of the Saints. After his recovery was complete, he dedicated himself to God, spent years in study and scholarship and was eventually ordained. Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus – the Jesuits, a religious order now serving God around the world.