St. Aloysius de Gonzaga
St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Introduction to the Life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga:
St. Aloysius Gonzaga was born in Northern Italy, between Brescia and Mantova. His father was a famous condottiere, a mercenary soldier. Saint Aloysius received military training, but his father also provided him with an excellent classical education, sending him and his brother Ridolfo to Florence to study while serving at the court of Francesco I de Medici.
Quick Facts: * Born: March 9, 1568 * Died: June 21, 1591 * Feast Day: June 21 * Type of Feast: Memorial * Readings: Sirach 48:1-14; Psalm 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7; Matthew 6:7-15 * Dates: March 9, 1568 (Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy)-June 21, 1591 (Rome) * Birth Name: Luigi Gonzaga * Patron of: Youth; students; Jesuit novices; AIDS patients; AIDS caregivers; sufferers of pestilence * Beatification: October 19, 1605, by Pope Paul V * Canonization: December 31, 1726, by Pope Benedict XIII
In Florence, Saint Aloysius became ill with a kidney disease, and during his recovery, he devoted himself to prayer and the study of the lives of the saints. At the age of 12, he returned to his father's castle, where he met the great saint and cardinal Charles Borromeo. Aloysius had not yet received his First Communion, so the cardinal administered it to him. Shortly thereafter, Saint Aloysius conceived of the idea of joining the Jesuits and becoming a missionary. His father was adamantly opposed to the idea, both because he wanted his son to follow in his footsteps as a condottiere, and because, by becoming a Jesuit, Aloysius would give up all rights to inheritance. When it became clear that the boy was intent on being a priest, his family tried to convince him to become a secular priest and, later, a bishop, so that he could receive his inheritance. Saint Aloysius, however, was not to be swayed, and his father finally relented. At the age of 17, he was accepted into the Jesuit novitiate in Rome; at the age of 19,
Introduction to the Life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga:
St. Aloysius Gonzaga was born in Northern Italy, between Brescia and Mantova. His father was a famous condottiere, a mercenary soldier. Saint Aloysius received military training, but his father also provided him with an excellent classical education, sending him and his brother Ridolfo to Florence to study while serving at the court of Francesco I de Medici.
Quick Facts: * Born: March 9, 1568 * Died: June 21, 1591 * Feast Day: June 21 * Type of Feast: Memorial * Readings: Sirach 48:1-14; Psalm 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7; Matthew 6:7-15 * Dates: March 9, 1568 (Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy)-June 21, 1591 (Rome) * Birth Name: Luigi Gonzaga * Patron of: Youth; students; Jesuit novices; AIDS patients; AIDS caregivers; sufferers of pestilence * Beatification: October 19, 1605, by Pope Paul V * Canonization: December 31, 1726, by Pope Benedict XIII
In Florence, Saint Aloysius became ill with a kidney disease, and during his recovery, he devoted himself to prayer and the study of the lives of the saints. At the age of 12, he returned to his father's castle, where he met the great saint and cardinal Charles Borromeo. Aloysius had not yet received his First Communion, so the cardinal administered it to him. Shortly thereafter, Saint Aloysius conceived of the idea of joining the Jesuits and becoming a missionary. His father was adamantly opposed to the idea, both because he wanted his son to follow in his footsteps as a condottiere, and because, by becoming a Jesuit, Aloysius would give up all rights to inheritance. When it became clear that the boy was intent on being a priest, his family tried to convince him to become a secular priest and, later, a bishop, so that he could receive his inheritance. Saint Aloysius, however, was not to be swayed, and his father finally relented. At the age of 17, he was accepted into the Jesuit novitiate in Rome; at the age of 19,