Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Ignatius loved the glamour of life at the Spanish royal court. He went to war to win glory until a cannonball left him immobilized. While recuperating, Ignatius read The Life of Christ and a book on the saints. He was radically changed. He began living a prayerful and penitential life. Eventually, Ignatius developed the famous Spiritual Exercises and founded a new religious order called the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

Feast Day: July 31

Patronage: Jesuits, Military, Retreats, Spiritual Exercises