Ignatius Loyola and three of his disciples travelled to Rome where they were ordained by Pope Paul III as priests. Loyola’s story is as colourful as it is varied. Born in 1491 he made his living by joining the Spanish army where he saw considerable action. He was wounded at the age of 30. While recuperating in the hospital Loyola read numerous religous books and experienced a conversion to Catholicism. 

He combined his military background with the spiritual literature he had read developing a military vision for Christianity in which he envisioned the forces of the Catholic Church at war against the forces of the devil, whom Loyola believed to be Protestants. 

After he was discharged from the hospital Loyola became a pilgrim, embracing monastic life for a period of time where he wrote his book The Spiritual Exercises. This book later became the handbook of the Jesuit order which Loyola founded. 

Loyola then made his way back to Spain where he enrolled at the University of Alcala to study theology. It was here that he attracted his first three disciples. The four men transferred to the University of Paris where they studied at the faculty of theology. After their time in Paris, they made them where to Rome.