Peter Faber: A Saint for Turbulent Times

In a time when the Church suffered violent division and strife, one man peacefully modeled compassion and dialogue. Peter Faber was one of the original companions who, with Ignatius of Loyola, founded the Society of Jesus in 1534. From his simple upbringing in a mountain village to his years at university, Faber exhibited a mind for learning and a heart for prayer. After doing Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises–an intense retreat for deepening one’s commitment to Christ and friendship with God–Faber led others to do the same and soon earned a reputation as the best teacher of the Exercises.

But it was a time of great dissension, as the Church struggled to respond to the challenges of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Battle lines were drawn–in churches and conversations, at meetings and councils. Along with other Jesuits, Faber sought to help people keep the faith. In exploring Peter Faber’s life of conversation, we can learn a powerful and faithful response to dissent, disagreement, and division–for his time and ours.