Aloysius Gonzaga
From Churches of Rome Wiki
| St Aloysius Gonzaga | |
|---|---|
| ' | |
| Baptismal name: | Luigi Gonzaga |
| Born: | 1568, Castiglione, Italy |
| Died: | 21 June 1591, Rome |
| Beatified: | 1621 (cult approved) |
| Canonized: | 1726 |
| Recognized by: | Catholic Church |
| Feast/memorial: | 21 June |
| Patronage(s): | Catholic youths, young Catholic priests, novices and seminarians |
| Attributes: | |
Aloysius Gonzaga (born 1568, died 21 June 1591) was an Italian Jesuit novice.
He was from a noble family, and was destined for a military career. In the years 1577-1579 he was a page at the court of Francesco de'Medici. Suffering from a kidney disease, he had time to pray and read Lives of saints. In 1581 he joined the suite of Mary of Austria and followed her to Spain. In 1584 he returned to Italy, where he, to his father the Marquess of Castiglione's great indignation, joined the Jesuit noviciate the following year. He made his vows in 1587.
At the age of 23, in 1591, he died after contracting the plague while tending to its victims. He recovered partially, but his health had been irreversably damaged and he died on 21 June 1591. He was interred in Sant'Ignazio in Campo Marzio.
His cult was approved in 1621, and he was canonized in 1726. In 1729, he was declared patron of youth.
