Saint Alphonsus Liguori 18th C. Italian Bishop
Saint Alphonsus Liguori was born on September 27, 1696and died on August 1, 1787. He was a Renaissance man. Saint Alphonsus Liguori was an Italian Catholic bishop and saint, as well as a spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian. Saint Alphonsus Liguori was appointed a Bishop in Italy in 1762. He was a prolific writer and published nine editions of his Moral Theology in his lifetime, in addition to other devotional and ascetic works and letters, 18 in total. Among his best-known works are The Glories of Mary and The Way of the Cross. The Way of the Cross is still used in Lenten Devotions. Is there a better description of a Renaissance man?
Saint Alphonsus Liguori Biography
Saint Alphonsus Liguori was born in Marianella, near Naples, on September 27, 1696. He was the eldest of seven children and noble lineage, though his family was somewhat poor. He learned to ride and fence, but was never a good shot because of poor eyesight. His military career, the expectations for young men of his age, but myopia and chronic asthma got in the way.
He was instead educated as a lawyer. When he was 18, like many other nobles, he joined the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy, with whom he assisted in the care of the sick at the hospital for “incurables.” He became a successful lawyer. He was thinking of leaving the profession and wrote to someone, “My friend, our profession is too full of difficulties and dangers; we lead an unhappy life and run the risk of dying an unhappy death.” At 27, he lost an important case and left the law profession.
In 1723, he decided to pledge as a novice to the Oratory of St. Philip Neri to become a priest. He was ordained on 21 December 1726, at the age of 30, even though his father opposed the idea. He founded the Evening Chapels, which were managed by the young people. The chapels focused on prayer and piety, preaching, community, social activities, and education. At the time of his death, there were 72, with over 10,000 active participants.
On 9 November 1732, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Its goal was to teach and preach in the slums of cities and other poor places. He was also a gifted musician and composer. Saint Alphonsus Liguori was made the Bishop of Sant’Agata dei Goti in 1762. He tried to refuse the appointment by using his age and infirmities as arguments against his consecration. He wrote sermons, books, and articles to encourage devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
By May 1775, Saint Alphonsus Liguori was “deaf, blind, and laden with so many infirmities that he has no longer even the appearance of a man,” and his resignation as bishop was finally accepted by Pope Pius VI. He continued to live with the Redemptorist community in Pagani, Italy, where he died on August 1, 1787. His remains are now on display in the church in Pagani, Italy.
Conclusion
Saint Alphonsus Liguori was a prolific and popular author. He was proficient in the arts, his parents having had him trained by various masters, and he was a musician, painter, poet, and author. Liguori wrote 111 works on spirituality and theology, and composed numerous hymns. He was a strong defender of the Catholic Church. He is tet another example of a saint who wrote a great deal so scholars can
