Aloysius Gonzaga

Who they were

Aloysius was born near Mantua, eldest son of the Marquis Ferrante Gonzaga, who raised him among arquebuses and armour for a soldier's life, while his mother taught him to pray. At seven he was already saying the penitential psalms on his knees several times a day, at ten he consecrated himself to Our Lady, and at twelve he received First Communion from St Charles Borromeo.

He entered the Jesuits. When plague struck Rome in 1591 he nursed the sick alongside St Camillus de Lellis, 'like the others', forgetting his rank. One day he carried a dying man from the street to the hospital on his shoulders; he caught the disease and died a few days later in the arms of his brothers, aged 23.

The miracles

Benedict XIII named him protector of students three years after canonising him; Pius XI named him patron of Catholic youth in 1926, and John Paul II patron of people with AIDS in 1991.

Why that counted as sanctity

A prince's heir chose God over power, and in the end gave his young life for the poorest, carrying a plague victim on his own shoulders.

Connected on this site

• Carlo Acutis Saint Influenced by them
• Camillus de Lellis Saint
  “When plague struck Rome in 1591 he nursed the sick alongside St Camillus de Lellis, 'like the others', forgetting his rank.” — this site's research
• Charles Borromeo Saint
  “At seven he was already saying the penitential psalms on his knees several times a day, at ten he consecrated himself to Our Lady, and at twelve he received First Communion from St Charles Borromeo.” — this site's research
• John Berchmans Saint
  “His spiritual model was his fellow Jesuit Aloysius Gonzaga, and he was influenced by the example of the English Jesuit martyrs.” — Wikipedia
• María Sagrario de San Luis Gonzaga Blessed
  “At Madrid, also in Spain, Blessed María Sagrario of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (Elvira) Moragas Cantarero, virgin of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and martyr in the same persecution.” — this site's research