Portal:Catholic Church/Patron Archive/June 21 2007

St Aloysius Gonzaga (Italian: Luigi Gonzaga, 9 March 1568–21 June 1591) was an Italian Jesuit and saint.

Luigi Gonzaga was born in the family’s castle in Castiglione delle Stiviere, between Brescia and Mantua in Italy. He was the oldest son of the condottiero Ferrante Gonzaga, a prince of the Holy Roman Empire.

His father assumed that he would become a soldier. His military training started at an early age, but he also received an education in languages and other subjects. In 1577, at age 8, he was sent to Florence with his younger brother Ridolfo, to serve at the court of Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici and to receive further education. While there, he fell ill with a disease of the kidneys, which was to trouble him throughout his life. While he was ill, he took the opportunity to read about the saints and to spend much of his time in prayer. He is said to have taken a private vow of chastity at the age of 9. In November 1579, the brothers were sent to the Duke of Mantua. Aloysius was shocked by the violent and frivolous life-style he encountered there.

In 1580, he returned to Castiglione. There, he met Cardinal Charles Borromeo in July of the same year. The cardinal found out that Aloysius had not yet received his first holy communion, and gave this to him on 22 July 1580. After reading a book about Jesuit missionaries in India, he felt strongly that he wanted to become a missionary himself.

The family was called to Spain in 1581, to assist Empress Mary of Austria.

In November 1585, Aloysius gave up all rights of inheritance, and this was confirmed by the emperor. He went to Rome, and because of his noble birth, he gained an audience with Pope Sixtus V. On 25 November 1585 he was accepted into the Jesuit Roman noviciate by the order's general, Claudius Acquaviva. He was asked to moderate his asceticism somewhat, as it disrupted his relationship to the other novices; they found it difficult to speak with him, as he isolated himself.

His health continued to cause problems. In addition to the kidney disease, he also suffered from a skin disease, chronic headaches and insomnia. On November 25, 1587, he took the three religious vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. In February and March 1588, he received the lower ordinations, and started studying theology to prepare for the priesthood. In 1590 he had a vision in which the Archangel Gabriel told him that he would die within a year.

In 1591, a plague broke out in Rome. The Jesuits opened a hospital for the stricken, and Aloysius volunteered to work there. He was allowed to work in a ward where there were no plague victims, as they were afraid to lose him. As it turned out, a man on his ward was infected, and on 3 March 1591 Aloysius showed the first symptoms of being infected. It seemed certain that he would die in a short time, and he was given Extreme unction. To everyone's surprise, he recovered, but his health was left worse than ever. While he was ill, he spoke several times with his confessor, cardinal Robert Bellarmine. Aloysius had another vision, and told his confessor that he would die on the octave of Corpus Christi. On that day, which fell on 21 June, he seemed very well in the morning, but insisted that he would die before the day was over. Cardinal Bellarmine gave him the sacraments, and recited the prayers for the dying. He died just before midnight on 21 June 1591.

Attributes:Lily, cross, skull, rosary

Patronage:Young students, Christian youth, Jesuit novices, People with AIDS and their caregivers

Prayer: Marian Prayer of St. Aloysius Gonzaga (Indicative of the Aloysius Gonzaga's devotion to Mary)

O Holy Mary, my mother, into your blessed trust and custody, and into the care of your mercy I this day, every day, and in the hour of my death, commend my soul and my body. To you I commit all my anxieties and miseries, my life and the end of my life, that by your most holy intercession and by your merits all my actions may be directed and disposed according to your will and that of your Son.

Amen.