St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

The founder of the Jesuits was on his way to military fame and fortune when a cannon ball shattered his leg. Because there were no books of romance on hand during his convalescence, Ignatius whiled away the time reading a life of Christ and lives of the saints. His conscience was deeply touched, and a long, painful turning to Christ began. Having seen the Mother of God in a vision, he made a pilgrimage to her shrine at Montserrat (near Barcelona). He remained for almost a year at nearby Manresa, sometimes with the Dominicans, sometimes in a pauper’s hospice, often in a cave in the hills praying. After a period of great peace of mind, he went through a harrowing trial of scruples. There was no comfort in anything—prayer, fasting, sacraments, penance. At length, his peace of mind returned.

It was during this year of conversion that Ignatius began to write down material that later became his greatest work, the Spiritual Exercises.

Forward In Faith 2012 Assembly

An excellent summation of the recent FIFNA Assembly may be found here:

http://www.fifna.org/news/assembly-fifna-on-the-move

Memories From Belleville 2012

A video slide show of Memories From Belleville has been uploaded at YouTube here:

The Missionaries of St John meet this week in Belleville, IL, just across the river from the Arch.  Following the MSJ lunch and meeting, Forward in Faith North America will gather in Assembly.  Praying everyone has safe and timely travels to Our Lady of the Snows.

For Travelers

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, 

and whose presence we find wherever we go: 

Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; 

protect them from every danger;
and bring them in safety to their journey's end; 

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fairview Heights Train Station

Since so many MSJ members will arriving at the Fairview Heights Train Station, we thought it might be helpful to post driving directions from Our Lady of the Snows to the station. Click on photo to enlarge, capture and print.