Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-22
40Oth Anniversary
Will Be Observed
By Jesuits Friday

Common Shot Resulted
In Founding Of Society
By Spanish Soldier .
BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. Sept. Ala move
ment that was started by single
cannon shot and burgeoned into
one OF the most active and extern
sive institutions in the history of
the world, the Society Of Jesus, will
observe its 400th anniversary next
Friday.
That cannon shot, fred by the
French In an attack on Navarro In
1921, struck q two.hsted young
Spanish soldier named Ignatius
Loyola.
While he was convalescing his
thoughts turned to spiritual mat
tiers, and a pilgrimage to the Holy
Land decided him on a religious
career.
He studied for II years and then,
in Paris, Joined with five university
students from various parts of
Europe in VOWS to dedicate their
lives Ito the greater glory of God"
They went to Rome to offer their
services to the church and on Sep
TENDER q, 1910, Pope Paul III issued
a bull sAnctioning their plans for
an education and missionary project
co-ordinated with the church but
distinct from its regular organiza-
ton.
Movement Spreads Remarkably.
Their movement grew and spread
remarkably. The Jesuits went
everywhere, teaching and convert
ing, deferred by nothing. Within a
century they had penetrated corners
Of the globe unfamiliar even to-
day-Iran, Abyssinia, Tibet. :.
Through a turbulent history the
Jesuits survived the calculated death
blows of antagonistic religious and
political movements in every land
and surged back to exert vital influ-
ence down to the present.
Today there are $4,000 Jesuits
working throughout the world. The
5,400-odd in the United States
maintain, among other activities, IA
universities and 10 colleges, like
Fordham, Georgetown, Holy Cross;
numerous observatories, and three
radio stations-WWL, New Orleans,
VIEW, st. Louis, and WHAD, Mil
waukee. The Jesuits are recognized
by all creeds as among the worlds
foremost scholars.
Two of the most outstanding fea-
lures Of the movement are energy
and determination.
Changed Bell in Streets.
Francis Xavier, one of the original
six founders, strobe boldly through
the streets of Goa, India, changing
a bell and urging all to come to
church.
When 40 Jesuit fathers en- route to
Brazil in 1870 were massacred by
pirates, their colleagues kept right
on and spread all over South
America.
The Jesuits meet obstacles with
initiative Father Robert Mobile,
finding the natives of India reluct-
ant to give up their ancient customs.
became Brahp1in himself and let
his neophyte followers retain their
caste system and ancestor vener-
alton while he converted them to
Christianity.
Father Isaac Jogues, one of the
first explorers Of the Great Lakes
region, was seized by the Iroquois
Indians In 1912. He was held captive
for 10 months. refusing rescue by
Dutch Colonists until. about to be
burned at the stake. he let himself
be smuggled onto a boat to New
York.
He went back to France-his
hands so mutilated by Indian tor
ture that he could not celebrate
mass-but a year later was back
among the same Indians, making
friends and converting them, until
an epidemic and bad crops were
superstitiously ascribed to his pres
ence and he was slain.
Care for Injured in Shanghai.
The spirit has carried down to the
present. During the disorders in
Shanghai in 1882 when the air was
thick with bullets two Jesuit fathers
strobe from door to door caring for
the injured.
BY the time Of the American
Revolution the Jesuits had become
an integral part of the life of
Europe. Many of the court con-
fessors were Jesuits, which aroused
political resentment. Their educa-
tional work ran into friction with
independent institutions. They in
Cured political hostility because
they represented the power of Rome.
All these factors contributed to
crisis in l773 which ended in Pope
Clement XIV isuing a papal brief"
ordering the society's activities sup
pressed "for the sake of peace"
The Jesuit idea weathered even
this presumable death sentence.
however. and Al years later Pope
Plus VII resanctioned the society
and it revived in full force.