To see all things new

Abstract

‘To see all things new in Christ’ is an expression adapted from the Autobiography of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) and was the motto chosen by the Superior General of the Society of Jesus for the celebrations, taking place between May 2021 and July 2022, of the 500th anniversary of the Conversion of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1521), or ‘Ignatius 500’. ‘To see all things new’ is therefore the title chosen for the exhibition that simultaneously marks two key moments related to Saint Ignatius of Loyola: the 5th centenary of his Conversion and the 4th centenary of his Canonisation, occurring on the 12th of March 1622, with the celebrations that marked it extending until the following year in the various Jesuit Assistancies. This expression aims to bring attention to these two celebrations, but also invite a fresh look upon a number of pieces which allow the construction of a narrative based on four thematic sections: 1. Conversion, 2. Construction of an iconography, 3. Canonisation and 4. Celebration of the canonisation. Given that some of the objects are better known than others, the exhibition and its catalogue not only reflect on the theme of Conversion, but aim, with a broader perspective, to explain how the Construction of an iconography was important for the dissemination of the life story and the image of the main founder of the Society of Jesus.