This chronology is a first draft of the biographical data presented by our numerous guides, museum data, Father Russ and Father Steve during our pilgrimage. Please point out errors since I have not yet been able to double-check all the facts.
1491
Born in Aztepia, Loyola (Basque Country) to a large, noble family. He was the last of 13 children. The family seal depicts a cauldron and two wolves. His mother, Doña Marina, dies shortly thereafter.
1492
Birth of a new geographical world. Columbus sails the Atlantic and lands in the Caribbean. The Christian Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon conquer the last Islamic stronghold in the South of Spain.
1494
Wars in Italy open the way for the Renaissance
1507
Iñigo’s father dies. He is orphaned at 16. His brother’s wife, from the court of Queen Isabel, has taken on the role of mother.
1515
Leaves home to work as a page in the court of Astazia
1519
Moves to Pamplona
1521
Marched on Pamplona in a battle against the French where he receives a cannonball in the leg. The French cared for him and transported him to Loyola. Up until he was 26 he was deficient in faith and caught up in vanities. Emperor Charles V has trouble curbing the Protestant Reformation.
June 24: Doctor advised Iñigo to make his last confession
June 28: Doctors certain he will die soon
June 29: Begins to recover
June 30: Spanish retake Pamplona; 3rd operation to saw leg;
Bedridden until February when…
He leaves Loyola on pilgrimage to Jerusalem with his priest brother, his niece from the novitiate, two servants and a mule.
Aránzazu: They travel to Aránzazu in order to do penance for their sins. Ignacio was accustomed to being hard on himself. At Aránzazu he prays for strength. After Aránzazu, on the way to Montserrat, he argues with a Moor about Mary’s virginity and asks himself: Should I kill him? He leaves the bridle of his mount in God’s hands and the mule goes in the direction of Montserrat rather than that of the Moor thus sparing his life.
Montserrat: At the entrance of Montserrat he puts on beggars clothes, keeps night’s vigil in arms before Montserrat. He makes a general confession as well as a vow of chastity to the Virgin and departs for in Manresa where he reflects on his new life-style.
Manresa: In order to help others, he begins to put in writing the fruit of his experience known as the “Spiritual Exercises”. He also works with great desire at St. Lucy’s Hospital. After three months, he moves into a Dominican Househ where he suffers bouts of depression.
Jerusalem: He eventually travels to Jerusalem via Barcelona and Venice, but the Franciscans there force him to return to Europe. The
Turks have invaded the Holy Land and he is not safe there. The ship nearly wrecks teaching him to trust in God alone. He lands in Venice where he meets up with his friends.
1523
Hapsburg Wars. Protagonists: Pope Adrian VI, Henry VII, and Luther.
1524
At the age of 33 he studies Latin in Barcelona with students much younger than himself. He realizes that he needs to study to help others; Attends Universities of Salamanca and Alcala but his creative ideas bring him problems. He finds himself obliged to move to Paris. There he begins to call himself Ignatius and gathers around himself a group of fellow students who want to follow his way of life.
1534
Ten years after his initial arrival in Paris, he takes vows in Montmartre in Paris and founds the “Friends of the Lord.” Bad health forces him to return to Azpetia. Instead of staying at his family palace, he lives with the poor. He reunites with his friends in Venice on way to Rome. Here, he receives a vision of Christ carrying his cross. This is a sign for him that Christ has accepted him in his service and it assures him of Christ’s enduring favor.
1549
Pope Paul II approves the Society of Jesus “for the service of God and the good of men.” The first Jesuits disperse. Ignatius travels to Japan.
1556
Dies at 46 at the gates of China; Charles V abdicates the throne. At this time, there are already 1,000 Jesuit members. Earlier, two women were included in this number, but they “butt heads” with Ignatius and are dismissed from the order. He leaves the exercises in the hands of his brother (or servant?).
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