Memorial of St. Ignatius Loyola, Priest

St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in October 23, 1491 in the castle of Loyola, into the Spanish nobility. He started his military career as a page. At age 17 he enlisted in the Spanish army longing for fame and glory.

At the battle of Pamplona, in 1521, Ignatius was seriously injured when a French cannonball ricocheted off the wall, fracturing his right leg, ending his military career. While recovering, he had a spiritual conversion while reading a book about the lives of the saints.

Once he had fully recovered, he went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In 1522, he visited the monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat where he confessed his past sins. He gave away his fine clothes and wore a sackcloth garment and laid his weapons on the Virgin’s altar.

For a year, he begged and then completed chores at the local hospital for food and shelter. Ignatius lived in a cave, known as Manreasa, where he practiced asceticism, praying for seven hours and formulating his Spiritual Exercises.

From 1526 to 1527 he entered school to educate himself so he could better help others. In 1539, Ignatius with Peter Faber and St. Francis Xavier formed the Society of Jesus, which was approved by Pope Paul III in 1540. Ignatius sent his companions on missions across Europe to establish schools, colleges, and seminaries. Then sent them across the world to convert others. Ignatius wrote the Jesuit Constitutions, which created a centralized organization of the order and stated absolute self-denial and obedience to the Pope and the hierarchy of the Church, adopted in 1553. Ignatius died from Roman Fever on July 31, 1556 in Rome.

He is the patron saint of Basque Country, education, military ordinate of the Philippines, retreats, soldiers, the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Spiritual Exercises, and the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Celebrate the Memorial of St. Ignatius by:

• Learning more about St. Ignatius and the Jesuits
• Learning more about and practicing his Spiritual Exercises
• Planning a retreat. (see below)
• Bake Ignacio (Cake for St. Ignatius Day). Find the recipe here.
• Attend Mass at Loyola University or Immaculate Conception (Jesuit) on Baronne here in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Women of Manresa Retreats

Since 1931, Jesuits have been offering retreats based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius at Manresa Retreat House in Convent, Louisiana.  For over 90 years, men from across the South have been stepping away from the busyness of life in order to pray and retreat.  In January of 2023, The Cenacle on the Lake responded to the call to offer similar retreats for women. Since then, over 800 women from 20 states have participated in these transformative retreats.

Upcoming Women of Manresa retreats
 
September 25 – 28, 2025   Br. Lawrence Huck, SJ
October 16 - 19, 2025             Fr. Mark Mossa, SJ
February 19 - 22, 2026          TBA
March 26 - 29, 2026               Fr. Jeffrey Harrison, SJ
April 30 - May 3, 2026           Deacon Ron Drez
August 13 - 16, 2026               Fr. Frank Reale, S.J.
September 10 - 13, 2026      Fr. Ross Romero, SJ
October 16 - 19, 2025              TBA
 
Register here:  https://neworleansretreats.com/womenofmanresa