St. Aloysius was heir to the affluent and powerful House of Gonzaga, a noble family in northern Italy in the 16th century. As a young boy, he was page to King Philip II of Spain’s son and trained to become a soldier until a kidney disease forced him to rest. After his recuperation, he renounced his wealth and title and announced his plans to enter the Jesuit order. He professed in 1587 at age 19. When the plague broke out in Rome in 1591, St. Aloysius volunteered to care for the infirm. He contracted the disease within four months and died shortly before his 23rd birthday. He was canonized in 1723 by Pope Benedict XIII and is the patron saint of Christian youth. [1]