What did St. Ignatius do?

Answer 1

That's a big question..

In a nutshell:

St. Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish Cleric (soldier when needed) who lost his leg during a battle with the French army during the siege of Pampeluna.

He converted to Christianity shortly after the war ended, and he created a set of Spiritual Exercises to assist in Prayer. The exercises consist of 18 rules to follow.

The "Company of Jesus" was an order that St. Ignatius founded, and the order consisted of Catholic priests that didn't want to follow strict rules of the Church. This did cause some issues with Rome, but shortly after the passing of St. Ignatius, the Company of Jesus was given full recognition by the Vatican.

There are many Catholic institutions named after him. One of the most popularly known in mainstream America is Loyola College.

Correction:

Ignatius did not lose his leg. While the French were besieging the citadel of Pampeluna, a cannon ball, passing between Ignatius' legs, tore open the left calf and broke the right shin (May 20, 1521). With his fall the garrison lost heart and surrendered, but he was well treated by the French and carried on a litter to Loyola, where his leg had to be rebroken and reset, and afterwards a protruding end of the bone was sawn off, and the limb, having been shortened by clumsy setting, was stretched out by weights. All these pains were undergone voluntarily, without uttering a cry or submitting to be bound.

Answer 2

St. Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish priest and theologian who founded the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, in the 16th century. He is best known for developing the Spiritual Exercises, a set of prayers, meditations, and guidelines designed to help individuals deepen their relationship with God. St. Ignatius played a significant role in the Catholic Counter-Reformation and his order became known for its missionary work and educational institutions.