July 31 Marks the Feast Day of St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuit order, wanted to be a famous soldier when he was young. But his military career halted on May 20, 1521, when a cannonball injured his right leg while he was defending the city of Pamplona in northern Spain.

He encountered a spiritual awakening as he recovered from surgery. After he was well enough to walk, he embarked on a pilgrimage. He stopped at a Benedictine abbey in Montserrat and confessed his sins, exchanging his expensive clothes for a sackcloth. He also left his sword and dagger at an altar dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

He then left for Manresa, where he lived in a natural cave the next 11 months and, through the grace of God, it was in the cave where he experienced a transformation in his spiritual life and discovered the vision of “finding God in all things.” It was also during this time period where he composed his Spiritual Exercises, a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices to help people grow closer in their relationships with God.

His feast day is July 31. The Jesuits are marking the Ignatian Year, from May 2021 until July 2022, in commemoration of it being the 500th year of the saint’s conversion in 1521.

To learn more about St. Ignatius’ life, listen here to a podcast from last year featuring Father David Dufresne, a Parochial Vicar at the Basilica of Saint Mary, discussing the life and spirituality of this great saint.