Society of Jesus

The Society of Jesus. A Christian religious order of the Catholic Church founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola on August 15, 1534. This religious order is better known by the name "Jesuits" ("Soldiers of Christ"). The Order is the largest of men in the Catholic Church. It has presence is 112 nations on six continents with over 20,000 members, working in the fields of education, intellectual research, cultural pursuits, missionary work, human rights and social justice. It founded many schools in the US, including Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, and in D.C. In the world it has about 56 university centers and 400,000 students.

Ignatius of Loyola wrote the Jesuit Constitutions, which created a tightly centralized organization and stressed absolute self-abnegation and obedience to Pope.

For God's greater glory

Christ as the model of human life.

Spiritual Exercises

The spirituality practiced by the Jesuits, called Ignatian spirituality, is based on the Catholic faith and the Gospels. The purpose of St. Ignatius's "Spiritual Exercises" is to conquer oneself and to regulate one's life, based solely on the discern of God's will, who is ever active in people's lives.

"The goal of our life is to live with God forever. God who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God's life to flow into us without limit... Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to the deepening of God's life in me."

See also

• Baldomero Ortoneda

External links

• Georgetown University