The Jesuit Institute - St Ignatius Loyola

On April 4, 1541, Ignatius of Loyola became the first superior-general of the Jesuits. From the article:

"The Feast Day of St Ignatius Loyola is celebrated on 31st July.
Jesuit schools in the UK celebrate the feast on a suitable day at the end of the summer term. For most schools this will be their final and thanksgiving Mass of the school year. In Jesuit churches and schools the feast of St Ignatius is celebrated as a Solemnity.

Biography
Ignatius Loyola , born (1491) of a Basque noble family; chose a life of chivalry and sought fame until he was wounded at the battle of Pamplona (1521); during long convalescence he underwent a spiritual conversion; lived as a hermit at Manresa where he began to see how God was active in his life; his notes from this time became the Spiritual Exercises; with companions he founded the Society of Jesus (1540); Ignatius spent the rest of his life developing and governing this new order. Died 31st July 1556 at Rome.

1491
Ignatius born, the youngest of 13 children, at Loyola in the Basque country of northern Spain.

1506
Enters the service of the King's Treasurer as a page, at Avila.

1517
Appointed Gentleman-in-Waiting to the Duke of Nájera, Viceroy of Navarra.

1521
Battle of Pamplona, 20th May. Ignatius falls wounded. Taken home to Loyola to recover. Reads The Life of Christ and the Golden Legend. Begins to practice the discernment of spirits and chooses a new life.

1522
Leaves Loyola (February). Pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady at Aránzazu. Spends the night in vigil before the Black Madonna at the monastery of Montserrat. Travels on to Manresa in search of Paul, a hermit with expertise on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Spends 11 months at Manresa in prayer. Begins to make the notes which will become the Spiritual Exercises.

1523
18th February - leaves Barcelona for the Holy Land. Arrives in Rome on Palm Sunday. 4th September - enters Jerusalem. Ejected from the Holy Land by Franciscan guardians.
1524
Returns to Barcelona. Begins to learn Latin before pursuing higher studies in order to 'help sous' without interference from the ecclesiastical authorities.

1526
Enters the university of Alcalá, near Madrid.

1527
Arrested and imprisoned for teaching the Christian faith without authorization (this happened eight times in all over the next few years). July - enters the university of Salamanca.

1528
Enters the university of Paris. Lodges with Pierre Favre and Francis Xavier, his first companions.

1531
Journies to London to beg alms to support himself in his studies.

1534
Ignatius and six companions take a vow of poverty, decide to go to Jerusalem, and to spend their lives as 'friends in the Lord' helping souls.

1535
Ignatius graduates as a Master of the university of Paris. Visits his family at Loyola for the last time.

1537
The companions reach Venice en route to Jerusalem. They go to Rome to obtain the Pope's blessing but he encourage them to 'help souls' in Italy. The companions disperse to various towns in Italy. Ignatius has a mystical experience at La Storta, outside Rome. The companions put themselves at the service of the Pope and the Church.

1539
The Deliberation of the First Fathers - the companions decide to bind themselves in a new religious order of priests to be called the Society of Jesus.

1540
Francis Xavier set out for the far east. 27th September - Pope Pal III approves the new Order.

1541
Much againsthis will, Ignatius is elected the fist Superior General of the the Society of Jesus. 22ndApril - the first 10 companions take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience at the basilica of St-Paul-Outside-the-Walls, Rome.

1546
Laínez and Salmerón are sent as expert theologians to the Council of Trent. 1st August - Pierre Favre, Ignatius' first companion, dies in Rome.

1548
The Spiritual Exericses are approved and published for the first time (in Latin).

1550
Ignatius finishes the first draft of the Constitutions for the new Society.

1552
Francis Xavier dies on Sanchuan island, off the coast of China.

1555
Ignatius dictates his Autobiography to Luís Gonçalves da Cámara.

1556
31st July - Ignatius dies in Rome.
There are already over 1,000 members of the Society of Jesus in many parts of the world.

1622
Ignatius is declared a saint by Pope Gregory XV."