St. Ignatius of Loyola College, Alcala de Henares

Historia

St. Ignatius of Loyola College, Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain, encompasses pre-primary through secondary and vocational training. The Society of Jesus resumed its educational work in Alcalá de Henares with the opening of the school in 1953.HistorySt. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, began his university studies in Alcala in 1526. The first Jesuit college in Alcalá de Henares (now a faculty of law) was constructed in 1620. After the suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1773, the school was reopened from 1827 to 1835.The modern history of Colegio San Ignacio began in 1955 with the construction of a school of philosophy for Jesuits studying for the priesthood; the primary school had preceded it in 1953. With the arrival of the philosophate came the Jesuit archives, which since 2014 have included most of the archival materials of the Jesuits in Spain. The present building was opened in 1971, with the school of philosophy moving to Madrid. In 2004 a large sports center was renovated and incorporated into the school.The school includes early childhood, primary, and ESO, as well as vocational training in electricity and electronics. There are 532 students served by 42 teachers. The social thrust from the start was evidenced in the primary school and the vocational school.In 1970 the future Pope Francis would stay with the Jesuit fathers in Alcalá de Henares while completing his final year of spiritual studies leading to solemn profession of vows in the Society of Jesus.