The Transformation of St Ignatius of Loyola: the Founder of the Jesuits

  •   Thu, Jul 31 2025
  •   By Fr Richard Mascarenhas SJ

July 31, 2025 

St Ignatius of Loyola was the youngest son in a noble family of thirteen children in Navarre, Spain (1491–1556). He began his “worldly” career as a courtier, gentle man and soldier. In 1521 he suffered a severe leg wound while defending a fortress against French forces at Pamplona, Spain. During his recuperation, the thirty year old soldier experienced a profound religious conversion through extraordinary experiences of the Trinity, Christ and our Lady manifested in visions and other mystical phenomena. God purified, illuminated and transformed Ignatius from a knight in the service of a temporal king to a knight under Christ’s banner in the service of the Trinity.  

Conversion and Spiritual Exercises: during his recovery, Ignatius asked for some books to read. The only books that could be found were the life of Christ and the lives of the saints. Reading and reflecting on these lives deeply disturbed him at first, but gradually, he was transformed into a new person. He began to think deeply about his own life. Later, he spent several days in prayer at a Benedictine monastery, where he hung his sword before a portrait of Mother Mary. From there, he journeyed to Manresa, near the shrine of Montserrat, where he led a rugged life for about a year. During this time, he began taking notes on his experiences, which formed the earliest stages of what would eventually become the famous handbook known as the “Spiritual Exercises.”      

Formation of the First Jesuit Community: In his mid-thirties, Ignatius returned to school and studied alongside students less than half of his age. After ten years, he was ready for the University of Paris. There he met six young men who joined him to form a religious community. They were ordained priests who took the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. One of these men, Francis Xavier, later became the great Apostle of India. The community offered their service to the Pope for whatever tasks he desired, demonstrating this commitment through the fourth vow of obedience to (the Church’s Mission) the Pope. Ignatius called his community the Company of Jesus. Today, they are known as the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits.

Jesuit Mission and Innovations: Ignatius introduced new rules in his community. The priests did not wear a special habit and had shorter hours of community prayer. They were trained to work wherever people needed them, but their main focus was teaching, preaching, training and guiding people in their spiritual life. Their mission was to form men and women for and with others. They became great missionaries and were a strong force in combating false teachings throughout Europe. The Jesuit motto is “All for the greater glory of God” (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam = AMDG).

Legacy and Historical context: Ignatius of Loyola lived through an exciting period of history. He was contemporaneous with the Council of Trent, Thomas More, Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, Copernicus, Columbus, Megellan, Verrazano, Cortez, Savonarola, Machiavelli, Suleiman, Henry VIII and Ivan Terrible. During his celebrated recuperation from a battle wound, Ignatius underwent a spectacular conversion. When Ignatius died on July 31, 1556, more than one thousand Jesuits were scattered across North and South America, Europe, India, China and Japan. 

The Jesuit Way: Following the way of St Ignatius, Jesuit life centers on the imitation of Christ, focussing on the values, priorities, and love that constitute the mind and heart of Jesus. Ignatius encourages us to reflect on what Jesus said and did. At the foundation of Jesus’ life was prayer, a continuous search for how best to love as an authentic human being before a loving God. Jesus preached the forgiveness of sins, healed the sick and possessed, and gave hope to the poor and those socially and economically outcaSt Jesus spoke of joy, peace, justice and love; he summoned men and women from all classes of society to continue following his way to God and his commitment to helping people become whole and holy.

The Continued Impact of the Jesuit Order: Today the Jesuit Order continues to transform lives and attract young people by embodying Ignatius’ vision of service and spiritual growth. Through their commitment to spiritual ministry, education, social justice, and global mission work, Jesuits and their collaborators inspire individuals to engage deeply with faith and justice. Whether in classrooms, communities, or remote corners of the world, the Jesuits uphold their legacy of compassion, intellectual rigor, and a profound dedication to the greater glory of God. 

Conclusion: St Ignatius Loyola’s journey from soldier to saint marked by profound spiritual transformation and unwavering devotion to Christ, laid the foundation for the Society of Jesus. Ignatius’ legacy continues to resonate through the centuries, guiding countless souls towards a life of service, prayer and love. As the Jesuit motto declares, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam - all for the greater glory of God – their mission endures, offering a beacon of hope and inspiration to a world in need!

Biography of St Ignatius of Loyola:

1491 Born at Loyola in northern Spain and christened Inigo; he later chooses to be called Ignatius.

1506 Age 15, Ignatius enters service as a page in the service of the Master of the King’s Treasury.

1521 On 20th May, Ignatius is severely wounded at the battle of Pamplona. He returns to Loyola to convalesce.

1522 After nine months of convalescence, Ignatius makes up his mind to go to the Holy Land as a pilgrim; on 24th March, he spends the night in vigil before the statue of Our Lady at Montserrat.

1522 Ignatius at Manresa and begins an intense period of spiritual experimentation, penance and meditation; he writes the notes which will become his book of the Spiritual Exercises.

1523 The pilgrim Ignatius arrives in Jerusalem; but is deported six weeks later.

1524 At the age of 33, Ignatius returns to school to acquire the Latin he needs to pursue university studies.

1526 Studies at the universities of Alcalá de Henares, near Madrid, and Salamanca.

1528 Begins studies at the University of Paris (he graduates with a Master’s degree in March 1535).

1531 Ignatius travels to London to beg the alms which will allow him to continue his studies.

1534 In Paris, on 15th August, Ignatius and six companions take vows of poverty at Montmartre and promise to travel to Jerusalem ‘to help souls’, living in imitation of Jesus’ disciples.

1537 Ignatius and his companions are ordained priests in Venice; when asked who they are, Ignatius responds ‘the Company of Jesus’; just outside Rome at La Storta, Ignatius has a vision in which he understands that he and his companions are being called to serve God as companions of Jesus.

1538 Being unable to travel to the Holy Land, the companions put themselves at the disposal of the Pope and disperse to various towns in Italy ‘to help souls’ in whatever ways they can.

1539 The companions decide (the ‘deliberation of the First Fathers’) to form themselves into a new religious order, neither monastic nor mendicant but ‘contemplatives in action’.

1540 The new religious order, the Society of Jesus, is approved by Pope Paul III on 27 September, ‘for the service of God and the help of souls’.  Francis Xavier is sent to the East, the first Jesuit missionary.

1548 The first Jesuit school is founded at Messina in Sicily, others quickly follow. Ignatius works on writing the Constitutions and directing the Society of Jesus from his room in Rome.

1553 Ignatius dictates his Autobiography to Luís Gonçalves da Cámara SJ.

1556 On 31st July, Ignatius dies.  There are already more than 1,000 Jesuits.

1622 Ignatius of Loyola is declared a saint by Pope Gregory XV.  He is buried in the new Jesuit Church of the Gesù in Rome.

Today, there are about 13,800 Jesuits in the Society of Jesus founded by St Ignatius of Loyola and his companions, working in 120 nations on six continents, including 2,500 schools and educational projects and 186 universities and institutes of higher learning which continue the 485 - year old project of Jesuit education ‘for improvement in living and learning for the greater glory of God and the common good.’ In India there are about 4000 Jesuits, making it the largest regional assistancy within the Society of Jesus. In Karnataka Province the number of Jesuits is 323 out of which 216 are priests and 107 are in formation.

 

 
By Fr Richard Mascarenhas SJ
Fr Richard Mascarenhas SJ is a Jesuit priest belonging to the Karnataka Jesuit Province. He is interested in spiritual and pastoral ministries. Presently he serves as the assistant parish priest at the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Health, Harihar.
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