Alonso, who was born in Spain in 1532, married at the age of 26, worked as a textile merchant, and only entered the monastic profession after a series of heartbreaking misfortunes. By the time he was thirty-one, his wife and two of their children had passed away, and his decision to live a life of penance and prayer had not stopped the devastating failure of his business or the eventual loss of his third and last child.

The Spanish layman turned to religious life because he was without a wife and kids and had few opportunities because he had not completed his higher education. However, he had challenges even there. After meeting Bl. Peter Faber, one of the original Jesuits, when he was still a young boy, Alonso became interested in joining the newly founded Society of Jesus because his previous life was in ruins.

Alonso was unable to complete their priestly ordination program due to his lack of education, and after attending the College of Barcelona for two years, he failed to receive a diploma. He was deemed ineligible to join by the Jesuit Fathers in Valencia. However, Alonso's years of prayer had not gone unanswered when a society provincial recognized his commitment and accepted him as a lay brother.

With the exception of their lack of priestly ordination, Jesuit Brothers are able to operate in a variety of fields nowadays. But in the 16th and 17th centuries, the lay brothers of the Society of Jesus—known as "temporal coadjutors"—helped the order's priests by carrying out its more mundane tasks, such farming, building, and cooking.

Rodriguez was dispatched by the Jesuits to work as a porter and doorkeeper at the Montesión College on the island of Majorca. He took on the duties of greeting guests and visitors, carrying their belongings, finding students or priests when needed, delivering messages, and giving charity to the underprivileged. For 46 years, Alonso carried bags and conducted errands while other Jesuits travelled the world evangelizing entire nations and reforming the Catholic Church throughout Europe.

However, after learning that their doorkeeper was a man of extraordinary faith and intelligence, students started to look for him. His Jesuit superiors began to notice as well and asked him to start keeping a secret journal of his thoughts and life. One young man, Peter Claver, became a close friend of Rodriguez's, and Rodriguez encouraged him to enlist in the South American missions. St. Peter Claver eventually baptized, catechized, and advocated for the rights of 300,000 slaves in South America after heeding his counsel.

The written documents that Brother Alonso left behind detailing his spiritual life were reviewed by his superiors after his death in 1617. They discovered the life of a mystic and saint. His method was straightforward: encountering God in any task was the goal, and Christ was showing up in every person who showed up at the door. Following this realization, he led a life of introspection similar to that of the well-known saints of his time (such St. Ignatius or St. Teresa of Avila), whose impressive accomplishments are more well-known.

In 1887, Brother Alonso Rodriguez was canonized. He is buried on Majorca, the same island where he spent fifty years answering doors and carrying baggage.

Other Saints of the Day
St. Herbert
St. Artemas
St. Theonestus
St. Serapion of Antioch
St. Dorothy of Montau