Born in 1491 as Iñigo López de Loyola, the youngest of 13 children in a Basque noble family, Ignatius of Loyola was destined for a life of chivalry and military glory. Raised in a castle in Spain’s Loyola region, he served as a page and later a knight, rising in the Spanish military despite his small stature of five feet two inches. His early life was marked by a passionate, if superficial, piety and a thirst for heroic renown. However, a pivotal moment in 1521 at the Battle of Pamplona changed his trajectory forever. A cannonball shattered his leg, leaving him with a lifelong limp and forcing a prolonged convalescence at his family’s castle.   

During his recovery, Ignatius requested romantic tales to pass the time, but only religious texts—lives of Christ and the saints—were available. These works profoundly touched his conscience, sparking a spiritual transformation. Inspired by the virtues of the saints, he shifted his ambition from earthly glory to becoming a “knight for the greater glory of God.” This newfound purpose led him to the shrine of Our Lady at Montserrat, where he laid down his sword and dagger after an all-night vigil. He then spent nearly a year in Manresa, enduring intense spiritual trials and mystical visions. During this period, he began writing what would become his seminal work, the Spiritual Exercises, a practical guide for meditation aimed at fostering discernment, interior freedom, and finding God in all things.       

Determined to serve God’s people, Ignatius recognized the need for education. He studied Latin in Barcelona and later pursued graduate and postgraduate degrees at the University of Paris from 1528 to 1535. His authentic spirituality and charismatic leadership attracted a group of like-minded students, including Saint Francis Xavier. In 1534, Ignatius and six companions vowed poverty, chastity, and service to the Holy Land. When war prevented this mission, they offered themselves to Pope Paul III, founding the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, in 1540. Ignatius was elected the first superior general and wrote the Jesuit Constitutions, emphasizing obedience, cura personalis (care for the whole person), and magis (striving for the “more” or “better”)—principles that became hallmarks of Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy.       

Under Ignatius’s leadership, the Jesuits grew rapidly from 10 members to 1,000 by his death in 1556, establishing colleges and missions across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Ignatius remained in Rome, founding homes for orphans and penitents while overseeing the order’s expansion. His Spiritual Exercises, published in 1548, has since been translated into dozens of languages and remains a cornerstone of Ignatian spirituality, guiding retreats worldwide.       

A mystic devoted to the Trinity, Christ, and the Eucharist, Ignatius emphasized a love for the Church and obedience to the Pope, with Jesuits taking a fourth vow to serve wherever the Pope sent them. His approach to faith was pragmatic yet profound, advocating charity and moderation even toward those with differing beliefs, laying early seeds for ecumenism. Canonized in 1622, Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s legacy endures through the Jesuits’ global presence, with approximately 16,000 members today, and his Spiritual Exercises, which continue to inspire spiritual growth and service to humanity. His feast day, celebrated on July 31, honors a man who transformed a shattered leg into a stepping stone for a life dedicated to God’s greater glory.