Boise’s Basque Center has celebrated San Inazio for more than a quarter century, after early Basque sheepherders brought the tradition to Idaho.
- Saint Ignatius (Ignatius of Loyola, 1491-1556) founded the Society of Jesuits.
- He is considered the patron saint of the Basques, and his feast day is July 31.
- Ignatius died July 31, 1556, and celebrations honor him in many communities worldwide.
- The feast is celebrated from the Basque Country (where he was born) to Rome and Idaho.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) founded the Society of Jesuits. He is regarded as the patron saint of the Basques, and his feast day falls on July 31, the same day he died in 1556. The feast honoring him is observed across many communities worldwide, including the Basque Country (his birthplace), Rome (the mother church of the Jesuits), and Idaho. In Idaho, early Basque sheepherders brought these celebrations, and Boise’s Basque Center has marked San Inazio for more than a quarter century.