St. Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491 in northern Spain. He became religious after having visions of the mother of God while recovering from leg injuries sustained in battle. He went on to found the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, and wrote their famous Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius helped many people convert to Catholicism and traveled spreading the faith until his death in 1556 at age 65 from gallstones and liver complaints. He was later canonized as a saint.