The Ignatian Year

Rev. Arturo Sosa, S.J., superior general of the Society of Jesus, has called for a global celebration of the “Ignatian Year” to honor the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits.

As a Catholic, Jesuit university, Marquette University invites the community to engage with this notable celebration and recognition of the history and origins of the traditions and values that form the basis of a Jesuit education.

Your presence in the Marquette community means that you are a part of this 500-year tradition that has moved hearts and minds for centuries, while creating and reading the signs of the times.

The Ignatian Year begins Thursday, May 20, 2021, the 500th anniversary of when Ignatius the soldier was injured by a cannonball in the Battle of Pamplona, a moment that instigated a change of heart and attested to God's constant invitation of grace to all of us at each moment.

The Ignatian Year will conclude on July 31, 2022, the Feast Day of St Ignatius.

March 12, 2022, will mark the pinnacle of the celebration, the 400th anniversary of the canonization of St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier. 

The Ignatian Year is an opportunity for our community to look back in gratitude for all that has transpired in the last 500 years. Just as well, we look forward in hope, recognizing the privilege of being a part of something greater than ourselves and uniting in the rich traditions and origins of a Jesuit education, all for the greater glory of God, Ad majorem Dei gloriam. 

In the future, how can we actively participate in living out the shared mission of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ?