The ‘Jesuits’ or members of the Society of Jesus (S.J.), were founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1534. He and his six Companions went to Montmartre, the Hill of Martyrs, in Paris and vowed themselves to poverty, chastity, and apostolic endeavours in the Holy Land, or if that proved not to be possible, to whatever tasks the Pope required of them.

Like the Dominicans, the Jesuits have a history of working in academic institutions and taking care of the intellectual apostolate. They were particularly prominent during the Reformation and are often regarded as the leaders of the Counter-Reformation. Some of their most famous saints include: St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Edmund Campion, St. Robert Southwell, St. John Ogilvie, St. Andrew Bobola, St. Peter Canisius and St. Robert Bellarmine. The latter two (Canisius and Bellamine) are Doctors of the Church. Campion, Southwell and Ogilvie were all martyrs during the Protestant Reformation. St. Francis Xavier is one of the Patron Saints of Australia.

Unlike the Dominicans, the Jesuits do not pray as a community, wear a distinctive religious habit, undertake regular penances or have a female branch of the Order. The Society is highly centralised with Military discipline imposed on its members.

The Motto of the Jesuit Order is ‘Ad Majorem Dei gloriam’ (all for the glory of God). In Australia the Jesuits run schools, parishes and university colleges and are heavily involved in work with refugees. In the Archdiocese of Melbourne they are responsible for both Xavier College, Kew and Newman College at the University of Melbourne.