Italian noble who grew up in a castle, the son of a compulsive gambler.
Cousin of Saint Rudolph Acquaviva. Aloysius trained from age four as a
soldier and courtier. Suffered from kidney disease which he considered
a blessing as it left him bed-ridden with time for prayer. While still
a boy himself, he taught catechism to poor boys. Received First
Communion from Saint Charles Borromeo. At age 18 he signed away his
legal claim to his family's lands and title to his brother, and became
a Jesuit novice. Spiritual student of Saint Robert Bellarmine. Tended
plague victims in Rome in the outbreak of 1591.
Patron saint of AIDS care-givers, AIDS patients, Catholic youth, Jesuit
students, relief from pestilence, teenagers, and young people.
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