For the history of the Jesuits the founding group of seven people, which St. Peter Faber was a part of, is of great importance. They were St. Ignatius of Loyola and six of his fellow students from the University of Paris.
One of the founding members of the famous Society of Jesus (Jesuit order) was born on this day. His name was St. Peter Faber and he was born in the alpine part of modern France, in the village of Villaret (roughly halfway between Geneva and Mont Blanc). The founding group, which consisted of seven people and which St. Peter Faber was a part of, is of great importance for the Jesuit order. Their leader was St. Ignatius of Loyola and six of his fellow students from the University of Paris, who gathered in the year 1534 in a crypt beneath the church in Paris Montmartre. The Society of Jesus (Jesuit order) was later created from that order, with the pope’s confirmation.
Here is a list of seven core members of the order, with the year of their birth:
– St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491)
– St. Francis Xavier (1506)
– St. Peter Faber (1506)
– Simão Rodrigues (1510)
– Nicolas Bobadilla (1511)
– Diego Laynez (1512)
– Alfonso Salmeron (1515)
Thus, St. Peter Faber is one of the three of them who were declared saints of the Catholic Church. Out of these seven, it can be mentioned that Diego Laynez became the second Superior General of the Society of Jesus after the death of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
St. Peter Faber was supposedly known for his ability to establish a friendship with the people he met. He traveled through much of Europe, spreading the Jesuit teaching. It is interesting that he allegedly conducted all his travels on foot, presented a considerable physical effort due to the large distances involved. Apparently he was one of the best-skilled people in directing the Jesuit Spiritual Exercises. He died at the age of 40 in Rome, allegedly in in the arms of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
