To our chaplain Reverend father J.M. Theyskens s.j., Association of English-speaking Catholics, 19581. ST IGNATIUS INSTITUTE, AntwerpThe Society of Jesus had been officially approved by Pope Paul III in 1540. In 1573, some Jesuits, helped byrich Spaniards, opened in Antwerp a school and a chapel, they were comparatively soon to be expelled from.Not for very long though. After the seizure of Antwerp by Alexander Farneze in 1585 they returned, boughtback their one time property, reopened the school and transformed it into a college which soon became knownfar and wide: students flocked to it from everywhere: Among them Peter Paul Rubens, his brother Philip, andNicholas Rockox who was to become burgomaster of Antwerp. Such was the success of the Jesuits in Antwerpat that time and such the demand for their priestly ministrations, that in 1614, they bought new grounds onwhich they built a church and a residence. Those grounds were what is now the Conscienceplein, that churchwas what is now the Church of St. Charles Borromeo, and that residence was the Town library; with thisdifference, however, that the church of St. Charles Borromeo was then known as the Church of St. Ignatius. Asa matter of fact, this church was the very first church in the whole of Christendom dedicated to St. Ignatius anddedicated to him by the senate and the people of Antwerp. Above the main entrance, under the monogram ofthe Society of Jesus I.H.S., the words of that dedication are still quite legible: "Beato Ignatio Loyolae, fundatoriSocietatis Jesus, senatus populusque Antverpiensis grato animo dedicavere", To blessed Ignatius of Loyola,founder of the Society of Jesus, the senate and the people of Antwerp have dedicated (this temple) as a token oftheir gratitude. St. Ignatius was beatified in 1609 and canonised in 1622.With its magnificent facade and its tower with Doric and Ionic columns, this church is a very beautiful exampleof the so-called Jesuit or baroque style. The inside decoration had be...