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May 1, 1491
St. Ignatius of Loyola is Born
Inigo Lopez (St. Ignatius de Loyola) is born in the Basque region in Spain in a city named Loyola. -
Period: May 1, 1491 to
The History of the Jesuits
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Oct 31, 1517
The Reformation Begins
The Protestant Reformation begins when German monk, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church door in Germany. -
Aug 15, 1534
The Company of Jesus is Formed
The Company of Jesus is formed by St. Ignatius and six of his peers in the crypt of the chruch, Saint Pierre de Montmartre. -
Sep 27, 1540
The Society of Jesus is Founded
On September 27, 1540, the Society of Jesus was founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola under Pope Paul III, but is limited to sixty members. -
Jan 1, 1541
St. Francis Xavier Arrives in India
St. FrancisXavier arrives in the city of Goa in Western India. This begins a decade of evangelism in India. -
Apr 1, 1541
St. Ignatius is Made Superior General
St. Ignatius is elected by his peers as Superior General of the Society of Jesus. -
Mar 14, 1543
Limitation is Removed
The limitation on the amount of members in the society is removed through the bull, Injuctum nobis. -
Jan 1, 1544
The Name "Jesuit" is Coined
The term Jesuit, which means one who used too frequently or appropriated the name of Jesus, is used in dissaproval of the Society of Jesus. It is later adopted by the members of the society as a positive name. -
Jan 1, 1549
St. Francis Xavier Arrives in Japan
A Japanese junk brings St. Francis Xavier and a Japanese convert to Japan. While he is there, Xavier converts over 1000 Japanese to Christianity. -
Feb 18, 1551
First Jesuit University is Founded
Gregorian University is founded in 1551 as the first Jesuit university in Rome. -
Jul 31, 1556
St. Ignatius Dies
The founder of the Society of Jesus, St. Ignatius of Loyola, dies of a stomach related illness. By the time of his death there are 1000 members of the Society of Jesus. -
Ratio Studiorum is Written
In 1598, Ratio Sudiorum is written. It is the basis of Jesuit education through out the world. -
Ignatius of Loyola is Canonized
Ignatius of Loyola is canonized a saint in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. -
The Society of Jesus is Suppressed
Between 1759 and 1761, the Portuguese arrests all the Jesuits in its territories and ships them to the back to Portugal. In 1761-3, all of the Jesuit colleges in France are closed. In 1767 Jesuits are expelled from Spain and its colonies. Finally on Jul 16, 1773, Pope Clement XIV succembs to secular threats and suppresses the Jesuits. They are suppressed all over the world except for Russia, where Catherine of Sienna refused to suppress them. -
The Jesuits are Restored
Pope Pius restores the Society of Jesus on August 7, 1814 immediately after his return to Rome from his captivity in France -
Boston College is Founded
Boston College, a private Jesuit university, is founded by Benedict Joseph Fenwick. It is arguably the best Jesuit unisversity in the United States. -
Six Jesuits are Killed
On Novermber 20, 1989, six Jesuits were massacred in El Salvador. Their names are Ignacio Ellacuria, Ignacio Martin-Baro,Segundo Montes,Arnando Lopez,Joaquin Lopez y Lopez,Juan Ramon Moreno, and Julia Elba Ramos -
The Society of Jesus Today
The Society of Jesus is the largest Christian order in the world, with over 19,000 Jesuits around the world. The Superior General is Adolfo Nicolás.
