St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491 in Guipuzcoa in the Basque country. He was brought up in the household of Ferdinand and Isabella as head treasurer and joined the army in 1517. In 1521, while defending the citadel of Pamplona his leg was broken by a cannon ball and, having nothing to read but the Life of Christ, and the Lives of the Saints during his recuperation, he became inspired to direct his competitive spirit toward heavenly goals. In 1537 after many trials he was ordained a priest and in 1541 founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He died at Rome in 1556, and was canonized in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV.
