On July 31, the memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Society of Jesus concluded the Ignatian Year, which commemorated the 500th anniversary of the saint’s conversion.

“Falling in love with Jesus, building fraternity and accompanying Jesus carrying the cross are three accents that the readings of today’s liturgy help us to recognize in the life of Saint Ignatius,” Father Arturo Sosa, the 31st Superior General of the Society of Jesus, preached at Mass in the Basilica-Sanctuary of Loyola (Spain). “Today’s world needs people who give themselves totally to loving and serving others.”

Following Mass, Father Sosa consecrated the largest male religious institute to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (An article in The Pillar discusses the historic relation between the Society and devotion to the Sacred Heart.)