St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568–1591) was the eldest son of an Italian prince who gave up his title and inheritance to become a Jesuit, and who died at twenty-three after caring for victims of the plague in Rome. He received his First Communion from St. Charles Borromeo and was guided by St. Robert Bellarmine, and the Church has named him the patron of young people and of students. His feast day is June 21. Below are his story, the prayer of his feast, and prayers to St. Aloysius for young people, students and purity.
A short prayer to St. Aloysius, written for this page:
St. Aloysius, you chose Christ over wealth, power and pleasure.
Pray for young people, that they may know their worth in God’s eyes,
keep their hearts pure, and give their lives generously to Him. Amen.
Who was St. Aloysius Gonzaga?
Luigi (Aloysius) Gonzaga was born on March 9, 1568, at Castiglione delle Stiviere in northern Italy, the eldest son of Ferrante Gonzaga, Marquis of Castiglione. His father, a soldier, wanted him to follow a military career and dressed him in a little suit of armor when he was four. Instead, the boy grew up deeply prayerful. He served as a page at the courts of Florence and Spain, where he was disgusted by the violence and corruption he saw. At twelve he received his First Communion from St. Charles Borromeo.
Against his father’s fierce opposition, Aloysius decided to become a Jesuit. After years of struggle, his father relented, and in 1585 Aloysius signed away his right to inherit the marquisate to his younger brother and entered the Jesuit novitiate in Rome. His spiritual director was St. Robert Bellarmine.
In 1591 plague and famine struck Rome. Aloysius begged in the streets for the sick and carried them on his back to the hospital, washing and feeding them. He caught the disease and, after three months of illness, died on June 21, 1591, at twenty-three. He was canonized in 1726.
The prayer of his feast from the 1916 daily missal:
O God, the dispenser of heavenly gifts, who didst unite in the angelic youth Aloysius an equally marvelous innocence of life and penance, grant, that through his merits and prayers we who have not copied his innocence may imitate his penance. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God world without end. Amen.
What is St. Aloysius Gonzaga the patron saint of?
St. Aloysius Gonzaga is the patron saint of:
- Young people and Christian youth, named by Pope Pius XI in 1926
- Students, named by Pope Benedict XIII in 1729
- Those who care for the sick in epidemics, and those suffering from contagious disease
- Purity and chastity
Prayers to St. Aloysius
Written for this page.
For young people
St. Aloysius, pray for the young people I love.
Protect them from everything that would harm their souls,
give them good friends, and help them to hear God’s call. Amen.
For students
St. Aloysius, patron of students, pray for me in my studies.
Help me to work hard, to stay focused, and to use my gifts for God. Amen.
For purity
St. Aloysius, angelic youth, pray that I may keep my heart, mind and body pure,
and help me to begin again when I fail. Amen.
Feast day
The memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, religious, is June 21, the day of his death.
Frequently asked questions
What is St. Aloysius Gonzaga the patron saint of?
Young people and students; he is also invoked for purity and by those who care for the sick.
How did St. Aloysius Gonzaga die?
He caught the plague while caring for victims in Rome and died on June 21, 1591, at 23.
When is his feast day?
June 21.
More saints
- St. Robert Bellarmine
- Patron saint of teachers
- St. Thomas Aquinas prayer
- St. Charles Borromeo
- St. Ignatius of Loyola prayer
- St. Maria Goretti prayer
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916), St. Aloysius Gonzaga (June 21), Collect, public domain (archive.org).