The Society of Jesus, commonly called Jesuits, was founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola and his companions, with the approval of Pope Paul III. Today, the society is engaged in evangelisation, apostolic, and spiritual ministries. Jesuit communities and individuals work in education, research, in cultural pursuits, as retreat directors, in hospitals, in parishes, sponsoring direct social and humanitarian ministries, and promoting ecumenical dialogue.
Ignatius Loyola - Early Life
Ignatius of Loyola was born, the youngest of 13 children in 1491, into minor Basque nobility. When he was old enough Ignatius was sent to be a page in the service of a relative. He becomes a courtier. In the household of Don Velázquez, Ignatius took up dancing, fencing, gambling, the pursuit of the young ladies, and duelling. Ignatius, keen on military exercises, was driven by a desire for fame.
Shattered Dreams and Dreams Reshaped
In 1521 a French army invaded Spain. Aflame for fame, Ignatius led the pointless defence at Pamplona. He was hit by a cannonball which smashed his legs. The French took him home to Loyola where he spent nine months in convalescence reading devotional books that changed his outlook on life.
In February 1522 after much reflection, to imitate the austerities of the saints and to do penance for his sins, Ignatius bade farewell to his family and went to Montserrat, a place of pilgrimage in northeastern Spain.
Ignatius Lives the Spiritual Exercises
Ignatius desired to make a pilgrimage to go and stay in Jerusalem. On the way, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, Ignatius left his sword, gave away all his fine clothes, and dressed in rough clothes and sandals. He then walked down the mountain to Manresa, a small town.
He stayed in a cave outside the town, intending to linger only a few days, but he remained for ten momentous months. He spent hours each day in prayer, greatly graced by God. He also worked in a hospice. It was here, in Manresa, that the ideas for what we now know as the Spiritual Exercises began to take shape in the experiences that Ignatius received and kept written down. Already Ignatius was sharing to aid souls with what he had received.
The Wrong ‘Jerusalem’
Ignatius, together with his fellow pilgrims, achieves his dream. Having overcome many obstacles he can now walk where Jesus his Lord once walked. However, the tense political situation in Jerusalem at that time and Ignatius's own extreme form of piety, caused the Franciscans who had Christian jurisdiction of Jerusalem to expel Ignatius from the Holy Land. This forced him to return to Spain.
Spain – Trouble-maker - Misunderstandings - Failed Companionship
Unable to aid souls in the Holy Land, Ignatius tries to aid souls in Spain. Again his attempts bring him to the disfavourable attention of the authorities. Ignatius realized that to give outstanding service to God he had to get a formal education. He studied Latin with little schoolchildren in Barcelona (1524-1526). He is in Alcala (1526-27) for his studies in arts. Still attracting the attention of the authorities, in 1527 he left with his first bizarre-looking companions, none of whom remained with him, and went to Salamanca to study humanities and philosophy.
Shortly after arriving, he was accused again of introducing dangerous doctrines. After three weeks in prison, the inquisitors declared him innocent. Ignatius considered the prison, the sufferings, and the ignominy as trials that God sent to purify and sanctify him. He leaves Spain.
Paris – The First Life-Long Friends in the Lord – Jerusalem Again
In 1528, Ignatius arrived in Paris, alone and on foot, to begin, in midlife, university studies that helped him shape the plan for the new Society of Jesus that he submitted to the pope in 1539.
He attended the College Ste. Barbe, the heart of the French Renaissance. Ignatius remained there as a student until 1535. He lived on alms, and in 1528 and 1529 he went to Flanders to beg from Spanish merchants. In 1530 he went to England for the same purpose.
While at the University of Paris, Ignatius roomed with Peter Faber, a young man from Savoy in the south of France, and Francis Xavier, a nobleman from the eastern part of the Basque country. Gradually a whole circle of "Friends in the Lord," as they called themselves, formed around Ignatius.
In 1534, Ignatius and his companions went to the church of Sainte Pierre in Montmartre. During Mass, they all pronounced religious vows of poverty and chastity and promised to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. With Ignatius's past experience in the Holy Land they add if, after waiting for a year, this was impossible to travel to Jerusalem, they promised to present themselves to the Pope and place themselves at his disposal, to be sent wherever the Holy Father considered it most appropriate. This vow to work together as companions was the important moment when this band of brothers would soon became the first Jesuits.
Venice – Reunion – Final Destination
The companions dispersed and Ignatius spent more than six months in Spain, finally travelling to Bologna and Venice where he studied privately. In early 1537, the companions joined him in Venice. All were eager to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but a war between Venice and the Turkish Empire rendered this impossible. As a temporary measure, Ignatius, Favre and Lainez travelled to Rome to offer their services to Pope Paul III, who permitted them to be ordained by any bishop. While they waited for a ship they worked in hospitals, preaching the Gospel. Apart from Favre, who was already ordained, the companions were ordained in Venice in June 1537.
Rome – the True ‘Jerusalem’ – L a Storta
Nearing Rome in 1537, at a little ruined chapel, Ignatius had a vision of Jesus carrying a cross. Jesus promised him that he would be good to him in Rome. Did this mean martyrdom in Rome rather than in Jerusalem? This Roman martyrdom was of a different sort. Not being killed for Christ’s sake, but living his life for Christ. It was to be a very active and fruitful eighteen and a half years.
The Pope makes use of the Companions – the End of the Friends in the Lord?
During Lent (1539), Ignatius asked all the companions to come to Rome to discuss their future. They had never thought of founding a religious order, but now that going to Jerusalem was impossible, they had to think about their future. Following their vow to the Pope, the Pope was now making use of them and dispersing them. What will become of their companionship?
Every evening, after working all day, they prayed and discerned where God was directing them. They decided that they could do more good together as one body rather than be scattered as individuals. They came to the unanimous decision to petition the pope to create them as a new religious order in the Church. Different from the traditional religious orders, they would not pray the divine office together and would vow to go wherever the pope would send them. They would be called the Society ( or Companions) of Jesus.
The Pope Creates the Society of Jesus
On September 27, 1540, the pope approved this band of scholars as a religious community in the Catholic Church. Soon the group elected Ignatius as its religious superior. The first tasks for Ignatius were to coordinate the ministry of the group, send them where they were requested or needed and draw up formal constitutions for the Society of Jesus which was still coming into being.
