I gave this talk to a faculty/staff retreat at Marquette High on February 3rd, 2022. I recap the life of Ignatius and then discuss a number of insights gained from the life of Ignatius and from my conversations in the various episodes of the podcast. Key themes are the Ignatian quest, Ignatius's relationship to his own past, and ways Ignatius changed after his conversion.

In Discovering Ignatius, Jim Kennedy, SJ will explore the life of Saint Ignatius, Catholic saint and founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). 500 years ago, Inigo de Loyola was struck in the legs by a cannonball, which began his journey from swashbuckling man of the world to the pilgrim mystic who composed the Spiritual Exercises, a classic work of Christian Spirituality.

In the seventh episode, the podcast explores Saint Ignatius's final years in Rome as the Superior General of the Society of Jesus. The podcast considers his attempts to craft guidelines to govern the Society, admit new members, and his difficult decision to send his friend and fellow saint Francis Xavier to India. 

In the interview portion, Mr. Kennedy talks with Fr. Doug Leonhardt, SJ, about his experience as a Jesuit, what the essence of Jesuit education past and present entails, and the legacy and importance of Saint Ignatius means for us today. The podcast series ends with a discussion of the death of Ignatius and some final reflections on his life and importance for us today.

Music:

"Thaxted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In Discovering Ignatius, Jim Kennedy, SJ will explore the life of Saint Ignatius, Catholic saint and founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). 500 years ago, Inigo de Loyola was struck in the legs by a cannonball, which began his journey from swashbuckling man of the world to the pilgrim mystic who composed the Spiritual Exercises, a classic work of Christian Spirituality.

The sixth episode follows Ignatius and his companions from Venice to Rome. After determining they should remain together as companions, the early Jesuits sent Ignatius to Rome to pledge their services to Pope Paul III. Outside of Rome, Ignatius experienced one of the most profound mystical experiences of his entire life at a chapel in La Storta. While at La Storta, Ignatius had a vision of God the Father and Christ carrying his cross. Ignatius heard God the Father instruct Jesus to accept Ignatius as his companion. After this experience, Ignatius insisted on the early Society bearing the name of Jesus.

After his vision, Ignatius arrived in Rome and pledged the companions' service to the pope. Pope Paul III, seeing the potential of this new group, offered them the Church of Madonna della Strada in Rome, where they continued their ministry throughout Rome. Around the same time, Paul III gave official approval to the new Society of Jesus and gave them their first guiding document, the Formula of the Institute. The Formula still guides the life and ministry of the Society to this day.

In the interview portion, Mr. Kennedy talks with Janice Kofler, teacher, spiritual director, and director of adult spiritual formation at Marquette High. The discussion focuses on the contemplation in the Ignatian sense, or prayer with imagination. This episode hopes to introduce people to this form of prayer, which is foundational for the Spiritual Exercises.

Music:

"Thaxted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In Discovering Ignatius, Jim Kennedy, SJ will explore the life of Saint Ignatius, Catholic saint and founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). 500 years ago, Inigo de Loyola was struck in the legs by a cannonball, which began his journey from swashbuckling man of the world to the pilgrim mystic who composed the Spiritual Exercises, a classic work of Christian Spirituality.

The fifth episode focuses on the journey of Ignatius and his companions from Paris to Italy. Before they left Italy, Ignatius and his friends took their first vows, pledging perpetual chastity and poverty. After their vows, however, the group became stuck in Venice, not knowing where to go and what to do. As their reputation began to spread, the companions faced the prospect of separating from each other and going their separate ways. Instead, they began a period of prayerful deliberation and discernment, which culminated in their decision to stay together as the Companions of Jesus under the leadership of Ignatius. 

During the interview portion, Jim Kennedy discusses the idea of vocation with Vince Kostos, theology teacher and coach. They discuss what vocation is, how to seek it, what gets in the way, and how we can encourage people to think deeply about their desires and listen to the call of God in their lives. Mr. Kostos reminds us always to pay attention to "the soft sound bites of God echoing in our depth." 

Music:

"Thaxted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

"the soft sound bites of God echoing in our depth."

In Discovering Ignatius, Jim Kennedy, SJ will explore the life of Saint Ignatius, Catholic saint and founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). 500 years ago, Inigo de Loyola was struck in the legs by a cannonball, which began his journey from swashbuckling man of the world to the pilgrim mystic who composed the Spiritual Exercises, a classic work of Christian Spirituality.

The fourth episode explores Inigo's journey after leaving Manresa, including his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. After his time in the Holy Land, Inigo returned to Spain and began to share his ideas about prayer and spiritual exercises with whomever would listen him. Facing some scrutiny by religious authorities, Inigo took a break from spiritual conversation and began studies at universities in Spain; eventually, he made his way to the University of Paris, where he met such companions as Francis Xavier and Peter Faber. In the interview, Jim Kennedy talks with Mary Beth McBride-Doyle, theology teacher, about the goals of a Jesuit education, the central place of theology in a Jesuit and Catholic school, and how she invites her students to integrate the social teachings of the Church into her discussions of justice.

Music:

"Thaxted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In Discovering Ignatius, Jim Kennedy, SJ will explore the life of Saint Ignatius, Catholic saint and founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). 500 years ago, Inigo de Loyola was struck in the legs by a cannonball, which began his journey from swashbuckling man of the world to the pilgrim mystic who composed the Spiritual Exercises, a classic work of Christian Spirituality.

The third episode explores what happened to Inigo after he left his recovery bed at Loyola. He became a pilgrim, a wanderer guided by God. Although Inigo wanted to travel to the Holy Land, he instead remained in Spain, spending roughly a year in a town called Manresa. While in Manresa, Inigo struggled with scrupulosity and despair. Eventually, through the grace of God, Inigo emerged from his difficulties and his insights Ignatius later turned into the First Principle and Foundation, a major component of the Spiritual Exercises. Jim Kennedy also talks with Chris Williams, SJ, a fellow Jesuit and theology teacher about how we should understand Inigo's experience at Manresa, what Ignatius has to tell us, and how the First Principle and Foundation can help us think about God.

Music:

"Thaxted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In Discovering Ignatius, Jim Kennedy, SJ will explore the life of Saint Ignatius, Catholic saint and founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). 500 years ago, Inigo de Loyola was struck in the legs by a cannonball, which began his journey from swashbuckling man of the world to the pilgrim mystic who composed the Spiritual Exercises, a classic work of Christian Spirituality.

The second episode explores what happened after Inigo was struck in the legs by the cannonball, examining how he came to choose between two different visions of his life. This experience led Inigo to think about the practice of discernment, which he would later make a major component of the Spiritual Exercises. Mr. Kennedy also talks with Cynthia Blaze, theology teacher at Marquette University High School, about her class on the Spiritual Exercises "the Call of Christ" and how she helps senior students think about their lives and how their faith impacts the decisions they make.

Music:

"Thaxted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

 In Discovering Ignatius, Jim Kennedy, SJ will explore the life of Saint Ignatius, Catholic saint and founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). 500 years ago, Inigo de Loyola was struck in the legs by a cannonball, which began his journey from swashbuckling man of the world to the pilgrim mystic who composed the Spiritual Exercises, a classic work of Christian Spirituality. 

The first episode outlines the goals of the series as well as explores the early life of Saint Ignatius up to his injury from the cannonball. Mr. Kennedy also talks with Erik Anderson, theology teacher at Marquette University High School, about how he has taught Ignatius to freshmen theology students and how he understands the life and significance of Ignatius.

Music:

"Thaxted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/