Bet you didn't know THAT about St. Ignatius of Loyola!

St. Ignatius of Loyola is best known as the person who founded the Jesuits and whose spiritual insights gave birth to Ignatian spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises. A lesser-known fact is that the cannonball wound he received in battle is actually what led to his conversion experience. Without this conversion, there would be no Jesuits, no Ignatian spirituality.

Listed below are seven more fun facts about St. Ignatius of Loyola that you’re unlikely to hear in general conversation about this 16th-century saint:

1. He once allowed the donkey on which he was riding to determine whether he should follow and murder someone he thought had insulted the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Fortunately, the donkey chose the path that led away from the insulter.)

2. He thought that his leg had been set poorly after the cannonball incident and that, as a result, he wouldn’t look good in his courtier’s tights. So he had a doctor rebreak his leg and start over!

3. He may be the only canonized saint to have a notarized police record—for nighttime brawling with intent to inflict serious harm.

4. He was hauled before the Spanish Inquisition on a number of occasions.

5. At age 33, he joined a class of young children so he could learn Latin.

6. He sometimes cried with so much devotion at Mass that he couldn’t continue, and he feared he would lose his eyesight.

7. He penned over 6,800 letters in his lifetime, making him one of the most prolific letter writers of his time—or any time, for that matter.

Other Ignatian Spirituality Resources
	IgnatianSpirituality.com is a service of Loyola Press, a ministry of the Chicago-Detroit Province of the Society of Jesus. It offers information on and experiences of Ignatian spirituality from Jesuit and Ignatian sources around the world. IgnatianSpirituality.com serves all audiences—the curious, the knowledgeable, and the expert.
	dotMagis is a blog about Ignatian spirituality and Jesuit ministry, inspired by Ignatius Loyola’s love of “magis” —the greater, the excellent, the best.
	The Ignatian Spirituality fan page on Facebook joins together seekers and those expert in Ignatian spirituality, recognizing that God is actively involved in the world and intimately involved with us in every moment.
	This is your Life, St. Ignatius -- An activity for your child Children can learn about the important events in the life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola with this activity