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St. Ignatius of Loyola

by Conor from Los Angeles

St. Ignatius of Loyola was a soldier who lived in Spain and later became a priest. During his life, he experienced an extreme change. It took great faith, perseverance, and complete devotion for this change to occur. After this change, he went on to do many great things and help many people in need. He followed his call wherever it took him and he listened to God. Ignatius did what was right and he did what would help people the most he could. He always kept faith in God, even in the darkest of times.

St. Ignatius was born in Azpeitia, Spain in the year 1491. He was born into a wealthy family. When he grew older, he became a soldier in the Spanish military. One of the battles he fought in was the Battle of Pamplona. He and his Spanish comrades were fighting a fierce battle against a French army. During this battle, Ignatius was badly wounded by a shot to the leg. He had to be carried for miles on a long journey to his home so he could be taken care of properly.

When he returned to his home, he had to be placed in his bed to recover. The leg that had been shot in the battle was broken. While he was being carried home, the leg had not set right, so it had to be broken again. Also, the leg that had been broken was now shorter than the other leg. He tried to fix it by attaching a cannonball to his leg and hoping that it would stretch the leg back to full length. His recovery was very painful and he had to stay in his bed for months. After sitting in his bed for a long time, Ignatius grew bored. He asked for a book. Two books were brought to him. One was a story of the life of Christ. The other was about the lives of saints. After reading these books, he was completely changed and he decided he wanted to follow God and be like the saints he read about.

When he fully recovered from his horrible injury, Ignatius left his home to start a new life. He was considered old to be starting on this new path and was far behind in learning to become a priest. He still continued studying to become a priest. In the time Ignatius lived, masses were said only in Latin. He did not know any Latin and he spent a long time learning the language. After becoming a priest, he travelled around Europe. During his travels he met nine men who felt the same way he did, wanting to help other people. Together they made a promise to God and founded The Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. He died in Rome in 1556. Over time, the order grew and Jesuits began to preach all over the world.

St. Ignatius of Loyola is my hero because his story inspires me. His story proves that anyone can change and do what they are called to do for the world and all of its people. I also admire the bravery and strength he shows throughout his life. He always kept fighting until the very last moment. It was difficult for him to overcome his injury but he persevered. Even though he was considered old, he still believed he could do what he was meant to do. St. Ignatius did many wonderful things in his life and I hope I can be just like him.

Page created on 1/22/2014 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 1/22/2014 12:00:00 AM

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