Happy 474 Birthday Jesuits

On August 15, in 1534, St. Ignatius and his First Companions; Peter Faber, Francis Xavier, James Lainez, Alonso Salmerón, Nicolas Bobadilla, Simon Rodriquez, Claude Le Jay, Jean Codure, and Paschase Brouet with a desire to dwell in the Holy Land imitating the life of Christ, they first made vows of poverty and chastity in the lower chapel, of the Chapelle des Matrye (Chapel of St. Denis), Montmartre, Paris. Designated by St. Ignatius of Loyola as "The Company of Jesus" translated into Latin as "Societas Jesu", hence the name "The Society of Jesus".

The Jesuits are religious order of Catholic priests, brothers, scholastics and novices. Today, 474 years later, 20,000 men through out the world continue the work started by their founder St. Ignatius of Loyola, they are a member of a Society founded chiefly for this purpose: to strive especially for the defense and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine, by means of public preaching, lectures, and any other ministration whatsoever of the word of God and further by means of the Spiritual Exercises, the education of children and unlettered persons in Christianity and the spiritual consolation of Christ's faithful through hearing confessions and administering the other sacraments.... (From the Formula of the Institute)

Recommended Jesuit Book

Ignatius of Loyola

Jesuit links of interest.
The Jesuit Portal
The Life of St. Ignatius
A History of the Society of Jesus
The Spiritual Exercises
Various Ignatian Prayers and Reflections

Post attributed to Joseph Fromm - Good Jesuit; Bad Jesuit