St Aloysius Gonzaga

Patron Saint of young students, Christian youth, Jesuit novices, those with AIDS and HIV.

Feast Day: June 21st

Religious

Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy

Public Domain: Saint Aloysius Gonzaga. Colour lithograph via Wellcome Collection.

Feast Day: June 21st

Religious

Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy

About

St Aloysius Gonzaga was born in 1568 in Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy, into a noble family. From a young age, he showed a deep devotion to prayer, fasting, and works of mercy, even renouncing his title and inheritance to join the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He was known for his purity of heart and tireless service to the sick during a plague outbreak in Rome. In caring for plague victims, he contracted the illness himself and died at the age of 23 in 1591. St Aloysius Gonzaga’s life is remembered as a shining example of youthful holiness, self-sacrifice, and love for God above worldly honors.

Legacy

St Aloysius Gonzaga is honored as the patron saint of young students and Christian youth. His life is a model for living a pure, disciplined, and faith-filled life in service to others. His example continues to inspire seminarians, students, and those discerning religious life. Pilgrims visit his relics in the Church of St. Ignatius in Rome, where his legacy as a young saint who gave all for Christ endures. Bonus Fact: Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, is named after St Aloysius Gonzaga. When the university was founded in 1887 by the Jesuits, they chose him as the patron because of his Jesuit heritage, his example of academic dedication, and his role as the patron saint of young students.

“It is better to be the child of God than king of the whole world.” — St Aloysius Gonzaga