> [[09-figures|↑ Back to TOC]] # Saint Ignatius of Loyola ## Biography Ignatius of Loyola was born at the castle of Loyola in the Basque country of Spain around 1491. A soldier who underwent a profound conversion while recovering from a battle wound at Pamplona in 1521, he devoted himself to prayer, pilgrimage, and study. He gathered a group of companions who formed the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), formally approved by Pope Paul III in 1540. The Jesuits became one of the great forces of the Catholic Reformation, especially in education and foreign missions. Ignatius's *Spiritual Exercises* are among the most widely used tools for prayer and discernment in the history of the Church. He died in Rome on July 31, 1556, and was canonized in 1622. *Source: Catholic Encyclopedia, "St. Ignatius of Loyola"*