Just Call Me Lopez: Getting to the Heart of Ignatius Loyola

What do we have in common with a man from the sixteenth century--or even more so, a saint from the sixteenth century? Probably a lot more than you think. St. Ignatius of Loyola wasn't always the heroic and holy figure that you hear about today; he was a flawed, fallible, and relatable man named igo Lopez. In Just Call Me Lopez, a twenty-first-century woman, Rachel, meets the man who becomes the saint, and both are transformed by their unlikely friendship and series of thought-provoking conversations.

Their worlds literally collide when Rachel is struck by a hit-and-run driver, and Lopez is there to help her. They realize that this chance accident is actually an act of God that allows Rachel and Lopez, through the medium of their friendship, to come to terms with their personal struggles. Lopez shares his life with Rachel, describing the obstacles he faces during his unbelievable conversion from a womanizing soldier to a man of God. While Rachel keeps mostly silent about her personal struggles, she observes and is astounded by Lopez's metamorphosis from mess to mystic. Rachel finally faces her troubling situation, and Lopez gently guides her through the process of discernment to make a difficult, but inspired, life choice.

Just Call Me Lopez helps us realize that our very human faults and imperfect behavior do not prevent us from receiving God's grace; rather, knowing our weaknesses and giving ourselves over to the Holy Spirit can create a new way for us to live.


Author: Margaret Silf
Publisher: Loyola Press
Published: 08/01/2012
Pages: 253
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 7.10h x 5.10w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780829436686


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/09/2012 pg. 60

About the Author
Margaret Silf is a popular retreat director and the best-selling author of many Loyola Press books, including The Other Side of Chaos, Inner Compass, Close to the Heart, and Simple Faith. She lives in Scotland.