St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Patron Saint of Young Students
St. Aloysius Gonzaga was born as the eldest of seven children to a wealthy aristocratic family in Italy. At a young age, Aloysius developed a deep spiritual life and received his first communion from the future St. Charles Borromeo. As his spiritual life grew, he felt called to become a missionary. Against his father’s wishes, Aloysius renounced his inheritance and future positions of power in Italian society, and joined the Jesuits. While still studying to become a priest, a plague broke out in Rome, and Aloysius, along with his fellow Jesuit students, helped care for the sick. Aloysius became ill and died in 1591 when he was only 23 and still studying. He is remembered for his piety and dedication to the faith and is a patron saint of youth and students.