Ignatius of Loyola (October 27,1491 - July 31,1556) was a Spanish knight from a local Basque noble family,hermit,priest,and theologian. After being seriously wounded in the Battle of Pamplona in 1521,he underwent a spiritual conversion while in recovery. He claimed to have experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus at the shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat in 1522. He went to Manresa,where he began praying for seven hours a day,often in a nearby cave,and formulating the fundamentals of the Spiritual Exercises. In 1539 he founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He was chosen as the first Superior General of his religious order,invested with the title of Father General by the Jesuits. He sent his companions as missionaries around Europe to create schools,colleges,and seminaries. He emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation. Loyola's devotion to the Catholic Church was characterized by absolute obedience to |