Saint Aloysius Gonzaga

Name ______Date ______

Directions: Read the biography and answer the questions.

Saint Aloysius de Gonzaga was born in 1568 as the oldest son of a noble Italian family. His father groomed him as his heir, preparing him to become a soldier according to the tradition of the time. Young Aloysius, however, felt a calling from God to a different way of life. At the age of seven, he prayed the Office of Mary, the Psalms, and other Catholic devotions. As a nine-year-old, he read books about the lives of the saints and took a private vow of chastity. At eleven, he taught the catechism to poor children living in the city. None of this persuaded his father to adjust his wishes for his son. When Aloysius attempted to become a priest in the Society of Jesus, he was met with much opposition. Then his father tried to convince him to become a diocesan priest instead so he could become a respectable bishop. Instead Aloysius wanted to live a life without any attachment to fame, power, or high office. His father finally agreed and Saint Aloysius renounced any claim to his father’s inheritance. Shortly after beginning his studies as a Jesuit novice, a plague broke out in Rome. Despite his own struggles with poor health, Saint Aloysius went to care for the sick and suffering. He contracted the disease while there and died at the young age of 23. He is the patron saint of young students, Christian youth, and Jesuit scholastics.

1. How did Saint Aloysius Gonzaga show a strong devotion to God at a young age? ______

2. Which of the ways Saint Aloysius Gonzaga lived out his faith as a child do you feel most interested in practicing in your life: prayer, spiritual reading, or teaching? Why? ______

3. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga renounced his opportunities to be rich and powerful. What temptations to power are most prevalent today? ______