St Aloysius Gonzaga was born in 1568 in Lombardy, Italy. From an early age he experienced a spiritual awakening and by the time he was 11, he was teaching the catechism to the poor and fasting three times a week. At about age 13, he made a resolution to become a Jesuit and four years later his father allowed him to enter the seminary. A Plague struck Rome in 1591 and during that time St Aloysius worked in the Jesuit hospital nursing the infected. It wasn’t long before he himself became sick. Although he remained in a weakened state, his prayer life remained strong. St Aloysius died in the Octave of Corpus Christi on June 21, 1591. He was canonised in 1726 and is the patron saint of Catholic youth.
St Aloysius Gonzaga
