Saint Aloysius Gonzaga

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (also known as Aluigi Gonzaga; Luigi Gonzaga) was born in 1568 A.D. at the castle of Castiglione, Italy. His family was of nobility, and Aloysius' father was a compulsive gambler. He was the cousin of Saint Rudolph Acquaviva.

Aloysius had been trained to be a soldier and courtier from the age of four. He suffered from kidney disease, which he considered a blessing as it left him bed-ridden with time for prayer. While still a boy himself, he taught catechism to poor boys. He received his first Communion from Saint Charles Borromeo.

He was educated at the courts of the Medici of Florence and of Philip II of Spain. Upon his return to Italy at the age of 18, he renounced his inheritance in favor of his brother, and entered the Society of Jesus. He made his vows in 1587.

He was the spiritual student of Saint Robert Bellarmine. When the plague and famine struck Italy in 1591, Aloysius devoted himself to the care of the sick, and became ill himself.

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga died in 1591 at Rome of plague, fever, and his desire to see God. His relics are entombed under the altar of Saint Ignatius Church, Rome. Devotion to him is widespread, and the practice of receiving communion on six successive Sundays is observed in his honor.

Patronage

AIDS care-givers; AIDS patients; Catholic youth; Jesuit students; relief from pestilence; sore eyes; teenage children; teenagers; young people

Quotes from Saint Aloysius Gonzaga:

1. There is no more evident sign that anyone is a saint and of the number of the elect, than to see him leading a good life and at the same time a prey to desolation, suffering, and trials.
2. He who wishes to love God does not truly love Him if he has not an ardent and constant desire to suffer for His sake.
3. O Holy Mary! My Mother; into thy blessed trust and special custody, and into the bosom of thy mercy, I this day, and every day, and in the hour of my death, commend my soul and body. To thee I commit all my anxieties and sorrows, my life and the end of my life, that by they most holy intercession, and by thy merits, all my actions may be directed and governed by thy will and that of thy Son.
4. 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.
5. 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 for ever, and enjoy eternal happiness. From a letter to his mother

Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Saint Anthony of Padua (also known as Antonio da Padova, Evangelical Doctor) was born as Ferdinand to a wealthy family in 1195 A.D. at Lisbon, Portugal. He was educated in the cathedral school in Lisbon. His family wanted him to be a great nobleman, but, Anthony felt a religious calling and he joined the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine in 1210 when he was 15.

Two years later, to avoid the distraction of family and friends who visited him frequently, Anthony received permission from his superior to move to the Convent of Santa Croce in Cóimbra where he remained for eight years. There he occupied his time with prayer and study, where he learned a great deal about theology and gained the understanding of Holy Scripture.

When the bodies of Saint Berard and his companions, the first Franciscan martyrs in 1220, were brought to be buried in the Church of Santa Croce , Anthony was inspired to leave his order, enter the Friars Minor, and go to Morocco to evangelize, and become a martyr for Christ. After confiding his intentions to some of the Franciscans, he received the Franciscan habit, and took the name Anthony.

When Anthony first started for Morocco, he was stricken with a severe illness which affected him the entire winter. He set sail for Portugal and then Morocco the following spring, but, he was shipwrecked off the coast of Sicily, where he remained for a time until he regained his health. From there he journeyed to a general chapter of the Franciscans at Assisi where he went entirely unnoticed. He applied to the Provincial of Cóimbra for a place where he could live in solitude and penance and enter more fully in the discipline of Franciscan life. The Provincial was in need of a priest for the hermitage of Montepaolo and sent him there to celebrate Mass for the lay brothers.

While Anthony lived at Montepaolo it happened that a number of Franciscan and Dominican friars were sent together to be ordained. When the time for ordination had arrived, it was found that no one had been chosen to preach. The superior turned first to the Dominicans, but everyone declined, saying he was not prepared. They then chose Anthony, whom they thought only able to read the Missal and Breviary, and told him to speak whatever the spirit of God inspired in him. Anthony obeyed, and at first he spoke slowly and timidly, but soon he was enkindled with the Spirit, and he began to explain the most hidden sense of Holy Scripture with such profound learnedness and beautiful doctrine that all were astonished. That moment began Anthony's public career. He was then constantly travelling, evangelizing, preaching, and teaching theology through Italy and France.

Anthony won a reputation as a preacher and teacher of theology, received the praise of Saint Francis, made numerous converts and performed many miracles. He had a vision of the Infant Christ, and he was made provincial of the monastery at Limousin, France in 1226.

Saint Anthony of Padua died of natural cause at Vercelli, Italy in June 1231. His relics are at Padua, Italy. He was declared a Doctor of the Church on January 16, 1946 by Venerable Pope Pius XII.

ST. JOHN OF AVILA AND ST. HILDEGARD OF BINGEN TO BE PROCLAIMED DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH

Vatican City, 27 May 2012 (VIS) - After celebrating Mass this morning in the Vatican Basilica for the Solemnity of Pentecost, the Holy Father appeared at the window of his study to pray the Regina Coeli with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Before the Marian prayer the Pope announced that on 7 October, at the start of the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, he will proclaim St. John of Avila and St. Hildegard of Bingen as Doctors of the Universal Church. "These two great witnesses of the faith lived in very different historical periods and cultural environments", he said. "Hildegard was a Benedictine nun during the height of the German Middle Ages, a true master of theology and a great scholar of the natural sciences and of music. John was a young diocesan priest of the Spanish Renaissance, who participated in the travails of the cultural and spiritual renewal of the Church and society at the dawn of the Modern Age".

The sanctity of their lives and the profundity of their doctrine mean that these two saints "retain all their importance. The grace of the Holy Spirit enabled them to experience profound understanding of divine revelation and intelligent dialogue with the world, two factors which represent the perennial goal of the life and activity of the Church".

St. John and St. Hildegard are particularly significant on the eve of the forthcoming Year of Faith, and in light of the new evangelisation to which the Synod of Bishops will be dedicating its attention. "Also in our own day, and through their teaching, the Spirit of the risen Lord continues to make His voice heard and to illuminate the path which leads to the Truth, which is the only thing that can make us free and give full meaning to our lives", the Pope said.

After praying the Regina Coeli he recalled that Mother Saint Louis (nee Marie-Louise Elisabeth de Lamoignon, widow of Mole de Champlatreux), foundress of the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis who lived between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, was today proclaimed a blessed in France. She was "an exemplary witness of love for God and for neighbour", the Holy Father said. He also recalled the fact that he is due to travel to Milan on Friday to participate in the seventh World Meeting of Families, and he asked the faithful to pray for the success of that event.

You can find more information at: www.visnews.org

The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City