Ignatian Identity
The Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits, is the largest religious order in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius of Loyola, a Basque nobleman and soldier who found God in all things. Since then, the Jesuits have responded to human needs in a variety of ministries throughout the world.
Rooted in the history and practice of the Jesuits, the “Ignatian Identity” of St. Louis University High is rooted in our core commitment to cultivating Inner Freedom — the gift of being able to discern God’s will in the movements of one’s own heart and mind, and to respond to the graces God offers in daily life. Practically speaking, Ignatian spirituality is rooted in a commitment to prayer inspired by the example of Jesus and rooted in ordinary human experience. The Examen and the Spiritual Exercises are two fundamental touchstones of this approach to prayer.
ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
(DEC 24, 1491 – JUL 31, 1556)
Principal founder and first Superior General of the Society of Jesus; compiler of the Spiritual Exercises and a gifted spiritual director
Canonized a saint on March 12, 1622 and is the patron saint of Guipúzcoa and the Society of Jesus
Described by Pope Benedict XVI as being “above all a man of God, who gave the first place of his life to God...a man of profound prayer.”