Ignatius of Loyola

Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) was a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian who founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Born Iñigo López de Loyola in the Basque region, he began as a soldier and was seriously wounded at the siege of Pamplona in 1521. During his recovery he underwent a religious conversion that led him to study and pursue a life of spiritual discipline. He later studied in Paris, where he gathered companions who became the first Jesuits. Ordained a priest in 1537, he helped secure papal approval for the order in 1540 and served as its first Superior General. He authored the influential *Spiritual Exercises*.