"Inigo," as he was known at baptism, was the youngest of eleven children born to Don Beltran, Lord of Loyola and Onaz, and his wife Marina Saenz de Licona y Balda. It is believed that he was born in 1491 in the castle of Loyola at Azpeitia, Guipuzcoa, Spain. He was trained to be a soldier, but his career ended when a cannon ball severely broke his leg.

Inigo's recuperation was long and painful, requiring two surgeries without the aid of anesthetics. It was during this time that he came to read the life of Jesus and some of the saints as they were the only books available to him. After many ups and downs his life turned away from his passion for glory and marriage to serving God alone. He spent about a year with the Dominicans at Manresa in a pauper's house and in a hermit cave. It was a great time of peace and serenity.

Eventually Inigo began to suffer terribly from scruples and fears. He tried fasting, prayer, and discipline, even the sacraments provided him with no relief. At times he felt on the brink of despair and it was during this time he began to jot down what would become the beginnings of his Spiritual Exercises.

In 1523 he went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and would have stayed, but God intervened through the Franciscan superior of the Friary he was staying at, who ordered him to return home. He returned to Spain and spent several years studying in Barcelona, Alcala, Salamanca and Paris. He lived an austere life and at one time was arrested as a suspected heretic after giving spiritual direction to some women even though he was a layman. Another time he was again arrested after holding assemblies of prayer and devotions. He ran into a lot of difficulty among scholars because he publicly taught how to live the life of Christ, even though he didn't have the credentials they demanded.

In 1534 Ignatius received his Master of Arts degree and with six other like minded men joined together and vowed poverty, chastity and to preach the Gospel in Palestine, or offer themselves to the Pope for what ever service he might choose for them. This was the beginnings of the Society of Jesus. In 1537 they were ordained to the priesthood. Unable to reach the Holy Land, they went to Rome and resolved to become a new religious order. In 1540 they received papal approval, took their final vows, and in 1541 Ignatius became the first Superior General.

They were sent out as a missionary order and soon had schools, colleges and seminaries all over Europe. They gained the reputation for being excellent teachers and ardent fighters against heresies. Ignatius died July 31, 1556 at about the age of 55. At the time of his death there were 1,000 members of his order in nine countries. He was canonized in 1622 and Pope Pius XI declared him heavenly patron of spiritual exercises and retreats.

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