Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
A young nobleman who gave up his inheritance and died serving plague victims
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Young saint, Religious
- Life
- 1568 – 1591
- Era
- 16th century
- Feast
- 21 June
- Countries
- Italy
Life story
Aloysius was born on 9 March 1568 at Castiglione delle Stiviere near Mantua, the eldest son of Marquis Ferrante Gonzaga and Marta Tana di Santena. His father wanted him to become a soldier and ruler and had him trained in arms from childhood. In his youth he lived at several Italian courts, including Florence and Mantua, then accompanied the family to Spain and served as a page to Prince Diego, son of King Philip II. Contemporary accounts describe him as a serious, devout boy who showed little interest in the life of the court.
During his years in Spain Aloysius decided to enter the Society of Jesus. His father at first strongly opposed it, and it took years of persistence before permission came. In 1585 he renounced his inheritance in favour of his brother Rodolfo and entered the Jesuit novitiate in Rome on 25 November that year. He studied philosophy and theology at the Collegio Romano, where he met St Robert Bellarmine, who later became his confessor.
In 1591 Rome suffered famine and epidemic disease. The Jesuits opened a hospital for plague victims and Aloysius volunteered to serve there, carrying patients in, washing and nursing them. He caught the illness and, though he recovered briefly, his health stayed weak and he was bedridden for weeks.
Aloysius died in Rome on 21 June 1591, aged twenty-three. Pope Benedict XIII canonised him in 1726. In 1926 Pope Pius XI declared him patron of Christian youth. His relics are kept in the church of Sant'Ignazio in Rome, and his feast is on 21 June.
Works and witness
- Served as a page at Italian and Spanish courts
- Renounced his inheritance to his brother and entered the Jesuits in Rome in 1585
- Studied at the Collegio Romano, with St Robert Bellarmine as confessor
- Nursed plague victims in 1591 and caught the disease
- Died in 1591; canonised in 1726
Patron of
Christian youth
Saints from the same country
References
- Martyrologium Romanum
- Virgilio Cepari, Vita del beato Luigi Gonzaga (1606)
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.