27/09/2026
On 27 September 1540, Pope Paul III officially approved the Society of Jesus through the bull Regimini militantis Ecclesiae:
“Whoever desires to serve as a soldier of God beneath the banner of the Cross in our Society, which we desire to be designated by the name of Jesus... should keep in mind that he is a member of a community founded chiefly for this purpose: to strive especially for the defense and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine.”
In 1538, the companions of Paris, with Ignatius of Loyola as their leader, realized that their plan to go to the Holy Land was not possible. They chose to go to Rome and offer their services to the Pope for the missions he would entrust to them. The following year, Ignatius submitted the Formula of the Institute for his group which he called the “Company of Jesus” – his friends in the Lord. Pope Paul III welcomed it verbally, but it was not until several months later, on 27 September 1540, that his holiness promulgated the bull Regimini militantis Ecclesiae, which recognized and approved the Society of Jesus as a religious order.
May God continue to bless this least Society with vocations for the priesthood and brotherhood so that through his grace we, friends in the Lord, may continue our service in the Church.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!
