St. Ignatius Loyola

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St Ignatius of Loyola is an inspiring person and has touched the lives of many people even now centuries after his death. Loyola has affected the lives of an uncountable number of people, either directly or indirectly. He started as an extremely brave and tough soldier and turned into the founder of a powerful religious order. He was born in 1491 in Spain and founded the Jesuits in 1540 at the age of 49.The Jesuits today are still a devoted religious order. Everything they do is in God’s name, hence their motto AD MAIOREM DEI GLORIAM this literally means “for the greater glory of God”. (Linten, Seven Things) Many Jesuits (and even non Jesuits like Pope John Paul II) sign their documents with amdg at the end to show that they do their work for God and not solely for themselves. (Linten, Seven Things) The Jesuits have survived multiple persecutions and yet have still remained a major influence in the church and in universities around the world. If it were not for an unfortunate cannonball shattering a soldier’s leg then none of this may have happened. In 1491 Ignatius of Loyola was born into a noble Basque family in Guipuzcoa Spain. (Pavur, 217) His name was not originally Ignatius; at birth he was named Inigo of Loyola, until he changed it to Ignatius later in life. (Pollen, St. Ignatius) He later decided to become a soldier in the Spanish army and was fighting in the battle of Pamplona; the French were invading the Spanish castle there. (Muthleb) In the battle his leg was crushed by an enemy cannonball. (Caraman, 25-26) The French soldiers were so impressed by his courage that instead of taking him prisoner they took him to recover. (Muthleb) During his recovery he came extremely close to death. At one particular point ... ... middle of paper ... ...llen, John Hungerford. "History of the Jesuits Before the 1773 Suppression." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 23 Mar. 2014 . Pollen, John Hungerford. "St. Ignatius Loyola." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company,1910. 23 Mar. 2014 . Pollen, John Hungerford. "The Jesuits During the Interim (1773-1814)." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 23 Mar. 2014 . Pollen, John Hungerford. "The Suppression of the Jesuits (1750-1773)." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 23 Mar. 2014 . Purcell, M. (1981). The first jesuit, ignatius loyola. Loyola Press.

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