On May 20, 1521, the life of Iñigo Lopez de Loyola (Saint Ignatius Loyola) was forever changed when a cannonball shattered his leg during a battle in Pamplona, Spain. More than a leg was shattered for the young Iñigo who, driven by insatiable ambition, lived to serve the Royal Court of Spain.
Iñigo’s conversion began during his long recovery from his injuries, as he read about the lives of the saints, like Francis and Dominic. His dreams transferred from heroic feats on the battlefield to valiantly serving Christ. The bull of canonization on March 12, 1622, reported that Ignatius was called from worldly honors and earthly military service to a holy life that led to the founding of the Jesuit order and, ultimately, the consolation of souls worldwide.
To celebrate the 500th anniversary of Ignatius’ conversion, the Society of Jesus worldwide, the entire Ignatian family in general, and McQuaid Jesuit in particular, will celebrate the “Ignatian Year” beginning May 20, 2021 and concluding July 31, 2022. The general theme of this celebration is to “See everything new in Christ,” (2 Cor 5:17), the crowning principle of Ignatian Spirituality.
To inaugurate the Ignatian Year, on Thursday, May 20, the McQuaid Jesuit Community was treated to a theatrical dramatization of Ignatius’ wounding at Pamplona; students took aim at breaking a “cannonball piñata;” and students “battled” to receive a commemorative shirt with the logo pictured above. CLICK HERE for a video recap of the festivities.