The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-06
FEAST OF ST. |CNAT|US
It Is a Notabls Day for the So
ciety of Jesus.
ORDERS PATRON SAINT
Rules Were Formulated Hundreds of
Years Ago-Stern in Discipline.
Hard to Enter and Harder
to Leave,

IhlS sunday is d notable day among
the members of the Society of Jesus.
1t is the feast of st. Ignatius, the
patron saint of the order founded 400
years ago by Loyola. There will be
no unusual demonstration, however, in
the local Catholic churches to-day.
The rules that govern the Jesuits to-
day are those laid down by their foun-
der hundreds of years ago. No allow
ance is made for circumstances. 1t is
not permitted to compromise The dis
Cipline in all cases is intleXible
There are hundreds of orders, socie-
ties, congregations and confraternities
in the Catholic church. and of them all
the Society of Jesus is the sternest in
discipline. 1t is also the most difficult
to enter and the most difficult to leave.
Yet from its foundation the number
of men who have renowned the un-
yielding discipline has been small.
When Loyola founded the Society of
Jesus in 1884 he obtained for it many
special grants and privileges, and in
return he made his order as strict and
uncompromisng friend of the pope as
was possible. He incorporated into its
rules much of the spirit of the camp of
his time--for Loyoa was a soldier as
well as a priest-and then he dedicated
his society to the pope as a bodyguard.
Loyola's next step was to make such
regulations as would build up and per-
petuate an efficient body of men worthy
of personal allegiance to the Roman
pontiff. He wanted men of the highest
endowments and sincerest purpose to
join his order. To this end he insti-
tuted the rules of probation
These rules, which are enforced to
the letter. prescribe for the candidate
a harsh novitiate of two years. This
time is spent in performing the most
exacting labor. The novice is set to
work in the kitchen or the forest with
the end always in view to make him
humbly obedient in everything.
At the end Of two years, if the novice
be deemed worthy the simple perpet
ual vows of poverty, chastity and ODE
dience are administered to him. These
he is powerless to break without COM
hitting a grave sin. After these VOWS
are made the novice is sent into the
world for Is years. The young priest is
ordered to study, to lecture, ITO teach, to
take charge of parish, or to do any of
the hundred and one tasks which his
order performs. His particular talents
are encouraged. He is urged to de-
velop himself in such a manner that he
may do the widest good for his society
and his church. He is moved from
place to place like a chessman, and be-
for him always are the words of 10y
ola: obedience, always obedience
During this service in the world he
writes S. j. after his name, denoting
that he is a member of the Society of
Jesus, but his associates know that he
is, as yet, only a helper. He is not a
professed Jesuit.
The professed Jesuits are the head
and front of the order Entrance to
their ranks is not only matter Of
years but of remarkable achievement
and ability. A priest in the order may
be a helper all his life, He cannot be
professed in less than II years.
This time of probation is often length
ened to Is and 80 years, and in some IN
stances a helper has not been allowed
to become protested even after spend
ing half a century in the order.
He must first pass the third proba-
ton. This is severe trial of one year.
and in this country is made at Fred
erick Md.
The priest who for II years or more
has met with great success in his held
of work in the world is called from his
trfumphs to wash dishes or to hoe corn.
He is placed in the position he was in
when he began. "Loyola's masterpiece
as this third probation is called, wipes
away the preceding years.
Again the priest works as he did
when a boy. Into this year is crowded
the most severe trials and the failures
in it exceed the successes. If the su-
periors tell the priest he has failed he
goes back to the labor from which the
third probation called him and he pre-
pares for another test later.
# he succeeds he has reached the
pinnacle of a Jesuit's ambition. He Is
"professed." This means he is received
into the highest ranks of the order.
The most solemn vows are laid upon
him. and for the first time during his
connection with the order his vows
bind the order as well as himself. In
his earlier vows he made all the posi-
tive promises. The order passively ad-
mitted him and could at any time dis
miss him But now that he is pro
tessed" the order is bound to provide
for him for life. Not only is the order
bound, but the church itself assumes
a liability as surety. If he goes away
to the ends of the earth the order will
follow him to see that he Is well cared
for, for he is one of their elect forever.
In return for this assurance of perma-
nence, the professed Jesuit promises to
remain true to the order This promise
can be nullified only by the pope.