The Society of Jesus began when seven men with Ignatius Loyola as leader banded themselves together to serve God under the banner of the Cross.  On September 27, 1540, the Society was approved by Papal Bull as an exempt Religious Order of clerics with solemn vows and a special vow to undertake spiritual ministries the Pope assigns them for the good of the universal Church.  Its membership comprises the professed priests with solemn vows and their priestly and lay helpers with simple vows.  St. Ignatius was the first elected General, who is for life.  All authority resides in the General who is accountable to the General Congregation, which meets from time to time.  The world-wide apostolate of the Order covers vast area of spiritual and secular activities.  Some of these are the sacred and secular sciences, the missionary apostolate, works of human development, education and research.  In spiritual renewal work their special contributions is the Spiritual Exercises popularly known as the Ignatian Retreat.  The Jesuits first came to Sri Lanka in 1602 settling in Colombo and responsible for the coastal belt north of the Ma-Oya.  They came a second time in 1895 to the Batticaloa and Galle areas and built up those dioceses.`