St. Aloysius was born in the Italian town of Castiglione. The first words he uttered were the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. His father was a pathological gambler and was raised in a wealthy Italian family. He received military and court training from an early age.

Aloysius underwent a significant spiritual quickening at the age of seven. He prayed the Psalms, the Office of Mary, and other devotions. He left his village of Castiglione at age 9 to attend school in Florence. Aloysius also decided to lead a holy life at this point and had vowed to remain a virgin forever. In the sight of women, he would maintain a continually downcast gaze to protect himself from potential temptation. By the age of 11, he was teaching catechism to poor children, fasting three days per week, and engaging in severe penance. He went to Spain when he was 13 and served as a page in King Philip II's court along with his parents and the Empress of Austria. Aloysius grew more pessimistic as he observed more of court life and sought solace in studying the lives of saints.

Throughout his life, he came into contact with several saints; St. Charles Borromeo gave him his first Communion and St. Robert Bellarmine was his advisor. He suffered from kidney sickness as an adolescent, which he saw as a blessing because it gave him plenty of time for prayer and reading saints' lives.

A book about the experiences of Jesuit missionaries in India inspired him to join the Society of Jesus, and his decision was made definite in Spain. With his father, this started a four-year battle. Famous clergymen and laypeople were enlisted to help convince Aloysius to continue working in his "normal" profession. He eventually succeeded in convincing his father, and at the age of 18, he gave away his legal right to his title and the properties belonging to his family and joined the Jesuits.

Rome experienced a plague in 1591. The Jesuits started their hospital due to this. Numerous Jesuits, including the superior general, provided personal service. Aloysius contracted the illness because he cared for patients, cleaned their rooms, and made their beds. After his recuperation, he continued to have a fever and was so weak he could hardly get out of bed. Despite his knowledge that he would pass away at the age of 23 three months later, within the octave of Corpus Christi, he continued his tremendous discipline of prayer. He received the last rites from St. Robert Bellarmine. The Holy Name of Jesus was the last thing he said.

He was canonized in 1726 and is the patron saint of youth, teenagers, seminarians, AIDS patients and AIDS caregivers. His feast day is celebrated on June 21.

Other Saints of the Day
Saint Aaron
Saint Eusebius of Samosata
Saint John Rigby
Saint Raymond of Barbastro
Saint Leutfridus