St. Aloysius Gonzaga is the patron saint of Catholic young people because of how diligently he pursued holiness before his death at the age of 23. From childhood, he had an overriding passion: union with God and he pursued that relationship with all of his being.
St. Aloysius realized he had a privileged upbringing, and in an effort to grow in humility, he sought out service-based tasks such as helping to wash dishes or clean the building. One day, in prayer, he came to understand that he did not have long to live. He fell more and more into deeper prayer and meditation, and when his peers saw him at meals, and even during recreation times, he seemed to be in some kind of ecstatic contemplation.
In 1591, a plague swept Italy, and the Jesuits opened a hospital in Rome. St. Aloysius assisted the patients there, washing them and making their beds. He got sick himself, and was prepared to die when, against everyone’s expectations, he recovered. He ran a low fever for months afterwards, which kept him weak. He remained in prayer, and it was revealed to him that he would die on the feast of Corpus Christi.
In the days before his death, he seemed well enough to travel, and his superiors considered sending him to a nearby town for some task there. He replied with his conviction that his life would end soon. The night of his death, he asked his confessor to recite the prayers for the dying, though he didn’t seem to be ill at all. Then, late that night, his health suddenly changed and he died around midnight, the night between June 20 and 21.
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The 455th Anniversary of St. Aloysius’ Birth: https://www.gonzaga.edu/news-events/stories/2018/11/30/finding-god-amid-disease-st-aloysius-gonzaga
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Cada 21 de junio la Iglesia celebra a San Luis Gonzaga, patrono de la juventud cristiana y protector de los jóvenes estudiantes; hombre de corazón enorme, quién sufrió muchas incomprensiones y pesares en la vida, pero que no perdió jamás su talante alegre ni su espíritu de lucha. Para leer más: https://www.aciprensa.com/noticias/hoy-es-fiesta-de-san-luis-gonzaga-patron-de-la-juventud-cristiana-14134
El Papa Francisco confía a San Luis Gonzaga a los jóvenes de todo el mundo: https://www.aciprensa.com/noticias/el-papa-francisco-confia-a-san-luis-gonzaga-los-jovenes-de-todo-el-mundo-96114
