What do trust, openness, generosity, simplicity, dedication, and gratitude have in common? They are six distinct themes woven through Ignatian spirituality and the lives of various Ignatian saints.

A fascinating read, Sean Salai, S.J. in his newest book, All the Pope's Saints: The Jesuits Who Shaped Pope Francis, shares this real-world spirituality with the stories of great Jesuits from St. Ignatius of Loyola to Pope Francis himself.

You will read about saints who surrendered to the service of God; who listened to God and went outside the box; who gave tirelessly without counting the cost; who learned to have or not have things insofar as it served God; who followed Jesus relentlessly; and who saw everything as a gift from God.

Through inspiring examples of Jesuit saints, both famous and obscure, as well as the unsung lives of the heroic lay men and women who collaborated with them on the mission, Salai offers a transformative challenge to all Christians who strive to follow Jesus with intelligent compassion in our complex world.

We, too, can live a missionary perspective on being Christian, emphasizing passionate engagement with the world, calling us to value all that is beautiful and good in God’s creation while rejecting all that is selfish and distorted. All we need is good will and the Jesuit saints show us how to do it!

All the Pope's Saints can help us to discover and develop six virtues of Jesuit spirituality: secrets to a new, refreshed, and even unpredictable relationship with God.

This isn’t just a book about Pope Francis’ spiritual inspiration. As the first Jesuit pope in history, Francis has brought a radical shift in focus that stems directly from a long line of Jesuits dating back to St. Ignatius of Loyola. In All the Pope’s Saints, you’ll get to know many Jesuit saints—both famous and not—who are the Holy Father's heroes and role models.

“Offers some unique insights into the mind and heart of this Jesuit Bishop of Rome and introduces us to some of the pope’s best friends.” —Fr. Thomas Rosica, C.S.B., English-language media attaché of the Holy See Press Office and CEO of Salt and Light

Catholic Media Foundation

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sean Salai, S.J., is a Jesuit and contributing writer at America magazine. He holds an M.Div from Santa Clara University, an M.A. in Applied Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago, and a B.A. in History from Wabash College. Before entering the Society of Jesus in 2005, he worked as a newspaper reporter.