About St. Aloysius Gonzaga

St. Aloysius is also known by two other names: Aluigi Gonzaga and Luigi Gonzaga. He was of noble birth and grew up in a castle at Castiglione, Italy. His father instructed him from the age of four to be a soldier.

St. Aloysius had to abandon his father's dream of soldiering because the boy contracted kidney disease. This devastating disease left St. Aloysius bedridden but Aloysius took advantage of his plight with contemplation and prayer. He gave himself to the service of God when he was 10 years old.

The peace and happiness that St. Aloysius gained from prayer inspired him to pass on the teaching of Jesus to other boys. St. Aloysius taught poor boys in his community the catechism, spreading his faith to others.

St. Aloysius Enters the Monastery

When St. Aloysius was eighteen years old, he made the choice to forfeit his legal right to his family's castle and land, giving all his belongings to his brother, Rodolfo. He entered the Jesuit novitiate and became a student of St. Robert Bellarmine.

St. Aloysius Treats Plague Victims

St. Aloysius treated and nursed the plague victims during the plague of 1591without regard for his own well being. He was stricken with the plague and died at the young age of 23. The last word on the lips of St. Aloysius was, "Jesus".

St. Aloysius was canonized a saint in 1726 and he is the patron of youth.

A St. Aloysius medal and a St. Aloysius pendant are very popular gifts for First Communion and Confirmation. He is an inspiration to all young Christians to remain true to the faith and find happiness in serving the Lord.

St. Aloysius' Letter to His Mother

May the comfort and grace of the Holy Spirit be yours for ever, most honored lady. Your letter found me lingering still in this region of the dead, but now I must rouse myself to make my way on to heaven at last, and to praise God for ever in the land of the living; indeed I had hoped that before this time my journey there would have been over. If charity, as Saint Paul says, means "to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who are glad," then, dearest mother, you shall rejoice exceedingly that God in his grace and his love for you is showing me the path to true happiness, and assuring me that I shall never lose him. Take care above all things, most honored lady, not to insult God's boundless loving kindness; you would certainly do this if you mourned as dead one living face to face with God, one whose prayers can bring you in your troubles more powerful aid than they ever could on earth. And our parting will not be for long; we shall see each other again in heaven; we shall be united with our Savior; there we shall praise him with heart and soul, sing of his mercies forever, and enjoy eternal happiness. - from a letter to his mother by Saint Aloysius Gonzaga