Ignatius of Loyola, priest - July 31st
St Ignatius of Loyola (d. 1556, Rome, Italy) (Relics: Rome, Italy)
First Class Relics
Il Gesu (The Jesus)
Via degli Astalli 16
Rome, Italy
*This church is located along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele. It honors a number of Jesuit saints.
*St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, is buried under the altar in the left transept.
*An arm of St Francis Xavier (d. 1552) rests within a reliquary above the altar in the right transept. With this arm he baptized thousands of individuals in India and the Far East.
*The remains of St Peter Faber (d. 1546), an early companion of St Ignatius, are also located here. They are said to rest below the main entrance to this church having been placed here when the church was built in the 16th century. During the placement of these relics it was impossible to separate the bones of St Peter Faber from the bones of other individuals; therefore, his bones are buried together with theirs.
Churches of Honor in Rome
Sant’Ignazio (Saint Ignatius)
Via del Caravita 8/a
Rome, Italy
*This church is east of the Pantheon. It is dedicated to St Ignatius of Loyola.
*The remains of St Aloysius Gonzaga (d. 1591) rest under the altar in the right transept. His rooms are next to the church and can be visited by appointment.
*The body of St Robert Bellarmine (d. 1621) rests under the altar in the third chapel on the right side of the nave.
*The remains of St John Berchmans, the patron saint of altar servers, (d. 1621) rest under the altar in the left transept.
Basilica of St Mary Major
Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore 42
Rome, Italy
*On Christmas night in 1538 St Ignatius of Loyola celebrated his first Mass in this church within the Chapel of the Nativity. At the time of St Ignatius this chapel was located within the confessio in the right transept and housed the five highly venerated pieces of wood from the manger of the Lord. Today this chapel, whose relics have been relocated to the confessio below the Papal Altar, has lost its association to the Nativity.
Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls
Via Ostiense 186
Rome, Italy
*This basilica is south of the Aurelian Walls.
*On April 22, 1541 St Ignatius of Loyola and five companions made their profession of solemn vows in front of a 13th century icon of Our Lady which is now found in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of this church. The crucifix in this chapel is also of note as it is said to have spoken to St Bridget in 1370.
*St Paul is also buried in the confessio in the main body of this church. Above his tomb are the chains that were used to imprison him prior to his martyrdom. These chains were placed in this prominent location in 2008.
