Aloysius Gonzaga

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga was born on March 9, 1568, in his family’s castle at Castiglione delle Stiviere, between Brescia and Mantua in northern Italy. The eldest son of a noble house, he was trained from childhood for military life, yet his heart turned steadily toward Christ. Illness in his youth drew him to prayer and the lives of the saints, and after receiving First Communion from Saint Charles Borromeo, he felt a strong call to missionary service and a life of holiness. Despite fierce opposition from his father and the privileges awaiting him, Aloysius renounced his inheritance and entered the Society of Jesus in Rome. As a Jesuit novice he embraced poverty, obedience, and chastity with remarkable purity of life, even being counseled to temper his austerities. When plague struck Rome in 1591, he volunteered to serve the sick, carrying the dying from the streets, washing and feeding them, and preparing them to receive the sacraments. He contracted the disease and died at only twenty-three, on June 21, 1591. He is venerated as patron of youth and students, and also of plague victims. His feast day is June 21.