As the Jesuit Order has been so influential for so long, it may surprise some that the Jesuits were once rigorously suppressed and banished from virtually all of Christendom. During this dire period, there was one man in particular who helped preserve the Order and facilitate its return. That man was St. Joseph Pignatelli, whose feast day is November 14.
Born in 1737 in Zaragoza, Spain, to a family of aristocratic Italian descent, Pignatelli had wealth and a high social rank. But hardship would come: He was orphaned at a rather young age, and was afflicted early on with tuberculosis, a condition that would resurface multiple times over the course of his life.
He entered the Society of Jesus at age 15. His relatives were strongly opposed to him pursuing a religious vocation, but “he withstood all their objections” and renounced “all the advantages and comforts of a distinguished and wealthy noble family,” as related by Konstantin Kempf in his book The Holiness of the Church in the Nineteenth Century.
Upon finishing his studies, Pignatelli was ordained a priest and also served for three years as a professor at the University of Zaragoza. His brother, Nicolas, would also become a Jesuit.
Trouble brewing
Around this time, however, trouble was brewing: The Jesuits were facing considerable opposition in multiple parts of Europe. They had fallen out of favor with several European monarchs, who accused them of stirring political unrest among the public.
By 1767, the Jesuits were banished from France, Portugal, Sicily, and Spain, among other locations. Pignatelli and his brother, who were still part of Spanish nobility, had the option of remaining in their Spanish homeland. But they instead chose exile with their fellow Jesuits.
First, they relocated to Corsica, where several hundred Jesuits had gathered. But then Jesuits were banished from Corsica. So they made their way to Genoa, only to be refused entry. They then relocated to Ferrara in northern Italy.
In 1773, Pope Clement XIV — under continuing political pressure from disgruntled monarchs — dissolved the Jesuit Order completely. (Pope Francis, himself a Jesuit, recently joked with the Franciscans about this pope, who was a Franciscan.)
Finally finding refuge
Forced to migrate once again, Pignatelli headed to Bologna, where he was able to secure long-term refuge. Though prohibited from undertaking Catholic ministry, he maintained correspondence with numerous Jesuit brothers now scattered across the continent. He also collected manuscripts of importance to the Order, so that its history would be preserved.
Additionally, Pignatelli saw that other Jesuits, especially the youngest members, maintained relevant studies and religious observances.
Eventually, in 1797, Pignatelli received permission from the Duke of Parma to reestablish the Jesuit Order within that territory.
In 1804, Pignatelli obtained permission for Jesuits to operate within the Kingdom of Naples. Over time, other locations, such as Sardinia, began to relax their position toward the Order.
Encouraged by these developments, but also exhausted by his ongoing efforts to keep the Order alive, Pignatelli died in Rome on November 11, 1811, at age 73.
In 1814, Pope Pius VII universally restored the Jesuit Order.
Pignatelli was beatified in 1933 by Pope Pius XI, and canonized in 1954 by Pope Pius XII. At that point, the Jesuits were already a powerhouse institution making a massive contribution to education on several continents. It was easy to forget that they had almost been suppressed out of existence.
But those who were familiar with Jesuit history realized that Pignatelli's efforts helped pave the way for the resurgence of the Order. And so he is considered the second founder of the Jesuits.
