Ignatian Year

The feast of St Ignatius of Loyola falls at the end of July and it presents us with the special opportunity to celebrate the founder of the Society of Jesus, whose inspirational journey of conversion, spiritual awakening...

On 31 July 2022, just a few days ago, Fr Arturo Sosa, the General of the Society of Jesus, led the Society to celebrate the conclusion of the Ignatian Year in Loyola.

On Sunday 31 July, Fr Arturo Sosa, Superior General of the Jesuits, brought to a close the Ignatian Year, with which the Society of Jesus commemorated the 500th anniversary of the conversion of Ignatius of Loyola. Fr Sosa did so by inviting his listeners to “commit themselves generously to the service of others, with total dedication”.

On 31 July 2022, we celebrate the feast of St Ignatius. Loyola is the place where it all began for this man: he was transformed by the grace of a call from the Lord. Loyola is also the place where Jesuits, and the whole Ignatian family, brought the«Ignatian Year» to a close.

The renewal of the consecration of the Society of Jesus to the Heart of Jesus challenges us to reflect on the relevance of this devotion in our lives.

This consecration will not only conclude the Ignatian Year, but continue to foster the current of grace which has been flowing in people’s hearts since May 2021. Father General chose this consecration of the Society to the Sacred Heart. For Jesuits, it unites word and symbol in a special way.

Fr. Arturo Sosa begins his explanation of how the Society of Jesus’ mission is not just a concern for Jesuits by drawing on the material of the book’s eleventh and final chapter, which he wrote for the Ignatian Year.

The 2022 edition of the annual magazine presenting “The Society of Jesus in the world” was distributed last November. It is now available in digital format on our website.

Today’s testimonial comes from a woman who has just completed the Ignatian Way. Natalie Baxter Strange is a devout follower of Ignatian spirituality and an Anglican layperson. She is based in the Belgian city of Leuven.

Fr Arturo Sosa reflects on several current issues that Jesuit education helps young people and many adults to address; starting with the contents of the 10th chapter of the book he published on the occasion of the Ignatian Year.

In the ninth chapter of his book, Father Sosa addresses one of the most topical issues in the world, that of caring for our Common Home. The Society of Jesus is committed to collaborating actively with others in addressing the environmental emergency.

In 1663, the very first house in the world to be totally dedicated to retreats was founded in the Breton city of Vannes by the Jesuit Vincent Huby. He became its first director. Some 20 times a year...