Born in 1491, St Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish priest beatified in 1609 and canonized in 1622, who founded the Society of Jesus (better known today as the order of the Jesuits) with St Francis-Xavier et Peter Faber, in 1540. The four pillars of the order were Poverty, Chastity, Obedience, and particularly Obedience to the Pope. 

To mark his feast day on July 31st, the anniversary of his death (on July 31, 1556), the Jesuits invited  Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballata to preside at a Holy Mass at the Pontifical Biblical Institute of Jerusalem. The Mass was concelebrated by Mgr Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, bishop emeritus, Fr. David Neuhaus, SJ, superior of the Jesuit community of the house, and Fr. Nikodemus Schnabel, OSB, Patriarchal vicar for Migrants and Asylum Seekers. Among the assembly was Mr. René Troccaz, Consul General of France.

At the end of the celebration, Fr. David introduced the new Father superior of the house, Fr. Miguel Garcia, who served many years in Africa before coming to the Holy Land.