The Ignatian tradition sprang up in the sixteenth century, the fruit of graces bestowed on a Basque nobleman, Ignatius of Loyola. Guided by a passion to find God in all things, Ignatius and his first companions founded the Society of Jesus and inspired many other religious orders and lay movements. Their influence spread across the globe even as they embraced various aspects of the cultures, languages, and institutions they encountered.

This introduction is a mere sampling of the men and women influenced by Ignatius 'draws on the stories and writings of nineteen exemplary individuals as well as the corporate voice of the Jesuit order. Here we meet missionaries, scholars, artists, advocates, and martyrs. Contemplatives in action, they follow Christ by serving others. They embody the freedom born of a passionate knowledge of God's unending, unconditional love; precisely in this, they show us how to live well today.

Eileen Burke-Sullivan, STD (1949-2024) was professor emerita and former vice provost/ vice president of university mission and ministry at Creighton University. She lectured and published widely on liturgical, spiritual, and ecclesial topics and is co-author of The Ignatian Tradition and The Church in the Modern World, published by Liturgical Press.

Kevin F. Burke, SJ, most recently served seven years as Vice President for Mission at Regis University, Denver, Colorado. Prior to his service at Regis, he was academic dean and a faculty member at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara Berkeley. He has also worked at Regis University and Boston College. He entered the Jesuits in 1976, was ordained in 1986 and is a native of Laramie and Rawlins, Wyoming.