St. Ignatius: Seeing God in All Things
by Sierra Concha '13
posted July 31, 2014
July 31 is the feast of St. Ignatius. Ignatius of Loyola is the founder of the Society of Jesus, a religious order also known commonly as the Jesuits. In 1888, at the request of Chief Red Cloud, the Jesuits helped establish a school on the Pine Ridge Reservation where students would be taught in the Jesuit tradition of educating the ‘mind, body and spirit.’
Today, with the help of the Jesuits, 600 Lakota children are empowered to ‘walk in two worlds’ at Red Cloud Indian School, just as Chief Red Cloud intended. And every year, there is a feast amongst the Catholic community here and throughout the world to honor St. Ignatius who sought to ‘find God in all things.’
Ignatius was born on October 23, 1491 in Azpeitia, Spain. When he turned 17 he joined the local army. He was very successful as a soldier and earned a reputation for bravery. In 1521, when a cannon ball struck him and broke his leg, he began a deep investigation of Christianity and his spirituality while he lay in his bed healing. Fr. George Winzenburg SJ, a Jesuit educator and the president of Red Cloud Indian School notes that as Ignatius of Loyola continued to learn more about the faith, he found himself enamored with the teachings of Jesus.
“As he reflected on his deepest desires, Ignatius discovered that pursuing a life focused on attaining wealth and power left him feeling dry; when he focused on surrendering his life to Christ, he was filled with peace and joy.” said Fr. George Winzenburg SJ, “That put him on a road to following Jesus, though at first he had no idea where it would take him.”
On a pilgrimage, Ignatius traveled to the Benedictine Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat and confessed his sins as he abandoned his military weapons at the shrine. He gave his good clothes away and left with simple, ragged clothes. It was at this moment that his genuine conversion began. From that moment forward, Ignatius continued to practice selflessness and generosity as he traveled.
Later, Ignatius attended the University of Paris to gain better knowledge of Latin so he could study to become a priest. There, he met six other students whom he directed in prayer and they soon shared his passion for following Christ. In 1534, he and his six companions professed vows to God and to put themselves at the disposal of the Holy Father, to go wherever he would send them on a mission. Ignatius was later ordained a priest and in 1540 the pope officially approved group of men as the Society of Jesus, a new religious order.
The Society of Jesus endeavored to help those in need by tending to the poor, working in hospitals and leading people through an experience of prayer and discernment that became known as the Spiritual Exercises. Ignatius and the Jesuits began opening schools for young men, first in Messina, Sicily in 1548. This early work in education eventually led to the establishment of many schools seeking to educate the youth, both spiritually and academically. Today, Jesuit schools are widely regarded as pillars of academic success in primary, secondary, and postsecondary educational institutions around the world.
Ignatius died of a stomach disease on July 31, 1556 at the age of 65. For his devotion to the Church Ignatius of Loyola was beatified in 1609 and canonized in 1622.
We invite you to celebrate this day with us and learn more about the Society of Jesus and the how the legacy of Saint Ignatius lives on in institutions across the world including Boston College, Creighton University, Loyola University and Red Cloud Indian School.
Photos and Content ©Red Cloud Indian School, 2014
