The Ignatian Year
500 years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola was severely injured by a cannonball during the Battle of Pamplona, against the French. After excruciating surgeries to his damaged leg, Ignatius lay in bed for weeks recovering. He asked for stories of chivalry or bravery to pass the time; he was offered books about Christ and the saints. Faced with the end of a courtly, military career that he had been groomed to pursue, this rock-bottom moment for Ignatius sparked a conversion of heart. He gave up prideful and vain pursuits to instead follow a life lived for Christ. His “cannonball moment” ignited a series of events that led Ignatius to ultimately write The Spiritual Exercises to help each person uniquely choose how to respond to Christ and God; to establish the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), and inform a spirituality that continues to inspire millions around the world.