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21 June Jesuit, patron of youth 1568-1591

by Michele Gatta

Born to the Marquis Ferrante Gonzaga and the countess Marta Tana di Santena, Luigi's destiny was clear: to become an expert in the military and government art, as heir to the marquisate. Once his father embarked for Tunis with his men in 1573, Louis was kept in his mother's care at his house. And it is precisely in this period that Luigi dates his conversion back to the age of seven. During the prayer he had strongly felt the desire to give himself completely to God and had said his "yes".

At just ten years old, during the plague that hit northern Italy, he was sent to study in Florence and took a vow of chastity. It was during one of his visits to the Church of the Annunciation that he had a vision, the Lord showed him two paths: the worldly one, which he had followed during his childhood and which would not have led to anything beautiful, and the evangelical one, which he had already encountered at five years old through the example of his mother and her words. Two years later, Saint Charles Borromeo not only did not reprimand him for this decision, but wanted to personally give him the first Eucharist.

For several years and during his higher studies he was sent to various courts following the crown prince, Don Diego. He still found time to meditate and pray. He read a pamphlet by Saint Peter Canisius and letters written by Jesuit missionaries in the Indies. He then understood that his place was in the Society of Jesus.

On November 25, 1585 he finally entered the Jesuit novitiate in Rome. Under the guidance of Roberto Bellarmino, he brilliantly finished his philosophy studies and began theology. After a period in his father's castle to reconcile his brother Rodolfo with his father, he returned to Rome to begin his last year of theology in 1590.

The plague also broke out in Rome and Louis asked to serve the sick in the hospital of San Sisto. Despite the later ban on going to hospital due to his poor health, he volunteered to serve in a hospital near the Capitol with fewer seriously ill people. And here to help a plague victim on the way, he contracted the plague which led to his death on 21 June 1591. He was just 23 years old. Writing to his mother she said: «We will see each other again in heaven and together united with the author of our salvation we will enjoy immortal joys...». 

He was proclaimed a saint in 1726, the following year patron of youth and model of those aspiring to the priesthood.