By Andrew Winter
1.
Born in 1696, St. Alphonsus Ligouri quickly showed promise as a boy. Thanks to his pious mother, he grew into a virtuous young man devoted to prayer. Thanks to the ingenious education of his father, a naval officer, Alphonsus received his doctorate in civil and canon law at 16 years of age.
2.
Alphonsus practiced law in Naples for 10 years, but he became dissatisfied with the political intrigue that clouded the justice of the Neapolitan court system. After losing the biggest case of his career, he left the world and became a priest in 1726.
3.
In 1732, Alphonsus traveled the country preaching and serving the poor and marginalized. He gathered like-minded priests around him and founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, better known as the Redemptorists. As he solidified his Rule for the congregation, his original followers became discontented with his strictures and abandoned him. Only one lay brother remained alongside Alphonsus.
4.
Eventually Alphonsus’ holiness drew more members to the Redemptorists, but they had trouble getting the Rule approved by the kingdom of Naples, and trouble with enemies within their own ranks. At the time of Alphonsus’ death, the Redemptorists were split into two branches.
5.
Around 1756, Alphonsus was made bishop of the diocese of Santa Agata dei Goti in southern Italy. He built up the seminaries and churches in his diocese, and supported the preaching of missions. Several times assassins attempted to kill him, but he worked fearlessly and tirelessly until he resigned as bishop in 1775.
6.
One of the greatest moral theologians of all time, Alphonsus wrote more than 100 books and traveled up and down Italy for 26 years, preaching devotion to Mary and the infinite love of God. He was very effective at reaching the peasant crowds and teaching them how to love God in simple and practical terms. He also emphasized the importance of the Eucharist and prayer: “If you pray, your salvation will be secure.”
7.
Alphonsus had an enormous devotion to Mary, and encouraged the praying of the Rosary. He wrote hymns to her and painted a portrait of the Madonna crowned with 12 stars. His 700-page work, “The Glories of Mary,” was so good that his Redemptorist brothers read it to him while he was dying.
8.
Toward the end of his life Alphonsus was crippled by rheumatic pains, and his chin was so bowed forward that it rubbed through the skin of his chest. In the last two years of his life he experienced horrible scruples in a dark night of the soul. But in between long periods of desolation, he experienced joyful ecstasies.
9.
Alphonsus died Aug. 1, 1787, was canonized in 1839 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1871. Below are two quotes from his many writings:
“Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly and with confidence and love, as to the dearest and most loving of friends. Speak to Him often of your business, your plans, your troubles, your fears.” (“How to Converse With God”)
“Realize that you may gain more in a quarter of an hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament than in all other practices of the day.” (“Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin Mary”)
