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 Saint Luigi Gonzaga Vatican City Aerogramme (1991) June 21 marks the feast day of Saint Aloysius (in Italian, Luigi) Gonzaga, who died on this date in 1591. Vatican City issued the aerogramme shown above in 1991 in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of his death. The aerogramme presents an image of the saint caring for a sick person, taken from a bas-relief sculpture found in the Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome. The postal indicia in the upper right hand corner is taken from a photo of the Sanctuary of Saint Luigi Gonzaga in Castiglione delle Stiviere. Gonzaga was born in 1568 into a noble family in Castiglione delle Stiviere. As the first-born son, he was in line to inherit his father's title and status: his title was Imperial Marquis of Castiglione delle Stiviere. At an early age, he developed kidney disease, and he was troubled with poor health throughout his short life. While he was ill, he experienced a spiritual awakening. Despite the efforts of his father and others, he eventually disavowed his inheritance and family position and joined the Society of Jesus in 1585, taking his vows in 1587. He traveled between Milan, Rome and Mantua from 1585 to 1590, returning to Rome in May of 1590. In 1591, a severe plague ravaged the city. The Jesuits had opened a hospital to treat those stricken by the plague, and Luigi volunteered to work there. Despite his ongoing health issues, he worked tirelessly at the hospital, caring for the sick and infirmed. He was eventually stricken by the plague and died at the young age of 23. Gonzaga is buried in the Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola) in Rome. The chapel in the right transept of the basilica is dedicated to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, and features a large marble high-relief of the saint by French sculptor Pierre Le Gros:  "The Glory of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga" by Pierre Le Gros Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Rome Photo by SteO153 From Wikimedia Commons, used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license Luigi Gonzaga was beatified on October 19, 1605, by Pope Paul V, and canonized on December 31, 1726, by Pope Benedict XIII. Saint Luigi Gonzaga is the patron saint of Catholic Youth, seminarians and teenagers, and he is venerated world wide in the naming of many churches and schools. Most notably, in the United States, Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, is named in his honor. Vatican City will be remembering the tercentenary of the canonization of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga this year. The 2026 Vatican Post stamp program lists the stamp to recognize the anniversary; however, the release date and stamp design have not been revealed as of this writing. REFERENCES: |
