 In 1851, Ignatius set out to Rome to gain the approval of the pope for his work; on his return he also met with several prominent bishops, as well as with Emperor Franz Josef of Austria.Father Ignatius' health had always been precarious at best, and, worn out with continual work, preaching and begging, he suffered a heart attack and died alone in a ditch (the death he had often described as ideal for himself) on 1 October 1864.Fr.