Ignatius of Loyola

Timeline

1. 1491–1521Loyola · SpainBorn into a noble family in the Basque region of Spain, he received knightly education at court and later served under the governor of Navarre, gaining a reputation for valor; this period of his life centered on worldly glory and military ambition.
2. 1521–1524Pamplona · SpainIn May 1521, during the defense of Pamplona, both his legs were wounded by cannon fire; while recovering he read lives of the Christian saints and underwent a profound spiritual transformation. After recovering he kept vigil at the sanctuary of Montserrat, hanging his sword before the statue of the Virgin, lived as an ascetic in a cave at Manresa for nearly a year, and wrote the first draft of the Spiritual Exercises.
3. 1524–1540Paris · FranceAfter studying in various parts of Spain, he enrolled at the University of Paris in 1528, where he met kindred spirits such as Francis Xavier. In 1534 he and his companions took vows at Montmartre, resolving to go to the Holy Land or serve the pope, forming the nucleus of the Society of Jesus. He was ordained priest in Venice in 1537.
4. 1540–1556Rome · ItalyIn 1540 Pope Paul III formally approved the establishment of the Society of Jesus; Ignatius was elected its first superior general, serving until his death in 1556. From Rome he led the rapid expansion of Jesuit educational institutions and overseas missions, drew up the Constitutions, and established the principle of absolute obedience to the pope, making the Society a core force of the Counter-Reformation. He was canonized in 1622.