St.Ignatius of Loyola(1491- 1556)
St. Xavier's school, Nevta, derives its charisma, ardor, verve and dedication from the most numinous and luminary, St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose teachings and spirituality continue to reign the Society of Jesus, deemed to have been founded by him in 1534.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, a Spanish priest, theologian and the foremost patron saint, was one of the most influential figures in the Counter-Reformation. Known for his missionary, educational and charitable works, St. Ignatius was a leading force in the modernizing of the Roman Catholic Church.
St. Ignatius born on 23rd October, 1491, was one of the 13 children of a noble and wealthy family in Northern Spain, Loyola. One thing to know about this pious soul is that he was far from being saintly during much of his adult life. As a young man, Ignatius was very ambitious and had dreams of becoming a great leader. But it was in 1521, while defending the town of Pamplona as an officer in the Spanish army, against the French attack, Ignatius was struck by a cannonball in his legs. While recovering from the injury, he underwent a spiritual conversion which led to him experiencing a call to religious life. Ignatius resolved to forfeit his materialistic life and devoted himself to serving God and mankind wholeheartedly.
Ignatius' desire was to 'help souls' and he engaged in spiritual conversation with almost everyone he met. With a small group of friends, Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus in 1540.The Society soon found its niche in education and commenced its noble service of educating the youth around the world. Ignatian spirituality has been described as a spirituality of finding God's will for better decision making.
St. Ignatius once remarked, "Act as if everything depended on you, trust as if everything depended on God." Reminiscing his noble ideals and notions, St. Xavier's School, Nevta, aims at instilling virtues such as conscientiousness, uprightness and rectitude among all its pupils.
In a nutshell, St. Xavier's School, Nevta, manifests itself through five expressions or gifts of the Ignatian teachings: MISSION, REFLECTION, SOLIDARITY AND KINSHIP, DISCERNMENT and SERVICE ROOTED IN JUSTICE and LOVE.