Ignatius Loyola was a Spanish priest and theologian, who founded the religious order called the Society of Jesuits in 1540. The Society of Jesuits were missionaries, or those who traveled to spread Catholicism and convert non-Catholics. During the Counter-Reformation, Jesuit missionaries traveled throughout Europe and won back many of the Europeans who had converted to Protestantism. Throughout Europe, they created schools, colleges, and seminaries. The Jesuits also ran charitable organizations, such as one for former prostitutes and one for Jewish people who converted to Catholicism. Jesuits were also sent to China, India, Brazil, the Congo region, and Ethiopia to convert non-Catholics.