A Brief Biography of Saint Ignatious of Loyola

I chose Saint Raphael the Archangel as my confirmation saint. I chose this saint because this is the first saint I learned about. I always looked upon this saint as my favorite saint because of his strong relationship with God and because I knew this saint the longest. I also chose this saint because his name means "God Heals." Saint Raphael the Archangel had an interesting life in faith and a strong relationship with God. Most people know this saint because he is one of the seven archangels and a part of the group of three archangels talked about in the Bible.

While I was at my last job for a Jesuit University, I was introduced to Saint Ignatius of Loyola and his Ignatian

Ignatius of Loyola was a 16th-century Spanish soldier who had very little interested in religion in general, until an injury that caused his leg to shatter forced him to read a book on the life of Jesus out of boredom. While reading, his interests shift from womanizing, brawls, and fame to wanting to emulate the saints he read about. Ignatius found that overhauling his life was difficult and was only made possibly when “God used even Ignatius’s overweening pride for the good” (Martin 12). Ignatius swayed between success and times of dark depression on his journey. Yet, he discovered other men interested in a different way of prayer then was popular at the time at university. Ignatius had a difficult time convincing many “mainstream” Catholics of his society focused on prayer in action. However, today the Society of Jesus still holds true to the Ignatian model of prayer and action.

The saint I have chosen for Confirmation is Saint Catherine of Siena. Her feast day is April 29th. She is a patron saint of Italy, bodily ills, miscarriages, people judged for their piety, sexual temptation, sick people, nurses, and fire prevention. Saint Catherine of Siena even helped the poor and assisted the United States becoming peaceful. The reason I have chosen her is because when I’m older, I want to help people by becoming a nurse or something of that field, just like her.

Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as St. Francis of Assisi (Assisi, July 5, 1182 1 - October 3, 1226), was a Catholic friar from Italy. After a restless and worldly youth, turned to a religious life of complete poverty, founding a mendicant Order of Friars Minor, more commonly known as the Franciscans, who renewed Catholicism of his time. With the habit of itinerant preaching, when the religious of his time used to set up in monasteries, and with his belief that the Gospel should be strictly followed, imitating the life of Christ, developed a deep identification with the problems of our fellows and humanity of Christ himself. His attitude was also said when the original goodness and wonder of creation at a time when the world was

St Francis' Church is the oldest Catholic church in Victoria, Australia. Located on the corner of Lonsdale Street and Elizabeth Street, the main body of the church (with various later additions) is one of a very few buildings in central Melbourne which predates the Gold Rush of 1851.

Saint Francis was born c. 1181 in Assisi, duchy of Spoleto, Italy. Francis’s death was October 2, 1226 in Assisi, Italy. He was known as the saint who left behind a life of luxury who devoted his life to God after hearing the call from him to rebuild the church and live a life of poverty.

Contrary to common belief, saints are not perfect. Saints simply seek Christ more than anyone else. Saints understood the need for Christ in their own lives through their own experiences. St. Teresa of Avila did not live a perfect life, although she strived to after her conversion. St. Teresa, after living in the world, realized her desperate need for a personal relationship with God, but by no means was she perfect.

What would you do if you were accused of being a witch and were burned at the stake because of your Catholic faith? Well, that is exactly what happened to Saint Joan of Arc and she did not denounce her faith, unlike what many people would do. She was born on January 6th, 1412, in the tiny village of Domremy. Saint Joan was canonized as a saint on May 16th, 1920, by Pope Benedict the 15th. She is the patron saint of France, martyrs, soldiers, and many more.

St. Francis of Assisi was born in Assisi, duchy of Spoleto, Italy in 1181. His Father was a wealthy cloth merchant who owned farmland around Assisi. In his early years, he was spoiled, indulging himself with fine food, wine, and wild celebrations. By 14 he was already a rebellious teenager who drank, partied and broke a lot of rules. But he was also known to be charming and for his vanity.

When you think of a soldier, do you think of a stereotypical knight in shining armor, on top of a strong, white stallion? Or do you think of a small, bare headed girl leading a great army into victory? Many people think that the first one is more realistic, but the 2nd is also very true. St. Joan of Arc fits the description perfectly. She became a knight when no girl could, led armies to victory, and did it all in the name of God, which makes her an excellent role model for many people.

Although most Catholics cannot become martyrs or sacrifice everything for the love of God, such as Saint Joan of Arc accomplished, there are other methods by which Catholics can please God immensely, such as the “little way” of Saint Therese of Lisieux. The greatest Catholic sacrifice is to give up one’s life for the love of God, as Saint Joan of Arc and many other saints have done. However, since the average Catholic cannot sensibly give up their life for God, it is better to follow a more realistic path. Instead, Catholics may follow St. Therese of Lisieux, who practiced her “little way,” which brought her closer to God in her everyday tasks. Although most Catholics cannot obtain God’s complete satisfaction through martyrdom, as St. Joan did, they may follow the example of St. Therese of Lisieux, who displayed, through her simplicity in life, her own version of perfect satisfaction.

Ignatius Loyola was born in 1491 in Basque of Northern Spain. He spent most of his life learning to be courtier and soldier, it was during his younger years that he was viewed as “vain, a lady’s man and very competitive (Martin 11). His leg was severely injured in the battle of Pamplona in 1521 and while he was healing in his families castle he was given a book on the saints to read (Martin 11,12). It was then that he got the desire to serve and follow God. Even against his families wishes he then turned to a life of poverty. He turned to education and formed a bond with several new friends of which the “society of the Jesuits was founded (Martin 15).

Imagine that you were trapped in a dungeon under the control of a stranger having no way to reach your family (St. Francis of Assisi Biography.com 2). With you not even knowing if anybody will ever notice you again. Saint Francis of Assisi had to go through this horrible experience and witness how cruel some people can really be (St. Francis of Assisi Biography.com 2). Under other people’s leadership can sometime be crucial to your health. Not knowing when you will be getting feed or when eating not having a full sized portion. This can result in having medical problems and can sometimes even cause death. Saint Francis of

St. Clare of Assisi was born on July 16, 1194 and died on August 11, 1253. Clare lived in Assisi Italy her whole life and was one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. She was the oldest daughter of Favorino Sciffi, who was a wealthy representative of an ancient Roman family, who owned a large palace in Assisi and a castle.