St Aloysius College celebrates feast of its patron saint

Mangaluru: The feast of St Aloysius Gonzaga, the patron saint of St Aloysius College was celebrated with Eucharistic celebration on Friday, June 21, at the Loyola Hall. The theme of the celebration was ‘Christ Is Alive And He Wants You To Be Alive’.

The main celebrant, Bishop of Mangaluru, Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha, in his homily gave a glimpse of life of St Aloysius Gonzaga, spiritual values and as youth how students can imbibe them. The mass was concelebrated by the Rector, Rev. Fr. Dionysius Vaz S J, Rev. Fr. Clifford Sequeira S J, Principal of St Aloysius P U College, 30 Jesuit priests and other priests of the diocese.

Over 3,500 students of SAPUC, St Aloysius College (Autonomous), St Aloysius ITI, staff, religious and well wishers of St Aloysius Institutions participated in the Eucharistic celebration. As many as 120 choir members performed in the celebration. The highlight of the celebration was the ceremonial offetory by students. The students of 62 batches of SAPUC brought offetory which would be sent to various Jesuit mission stations. The Rector conveyed his message to all Aloysians on the occasion of the Feast. Principal, Rev. Fr Clifford Sequeira S J proposed vote of thanks.

About St. Aloysius Gonzaga

As a young boy, St. Aloysius always had a great desire to know and serve God, but his family life was not always supportive of this desire. He was born into a noble Italian family, and his father was a compulsive gambler. He grew up in a castle and was trained from a very young age to be a soldier and courtier, and despite the opposition of his family, he taught catechism to poor boys.

He encountered many holy people in his lifetime. He received his first Communion from St. Charles Borromeo and studied under St. Robert Bellarmine. As a teen, he suffered from a kidney disease which he considered a blessing, as it left him with plenty of time for prayer.

At 18 he signed away his legal claim to his title and his family’s lands and entered the Jesuits. He died shortly thereafter of the plague at the age of 23, having devotedly cared for plague victims in Rome in the outbreak of 1591.

He was canonized in 1726 and is the patron saint of youth, AIDS patients and AIDS caregivers.