Novena to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga – 9 Days of Prayer
Novena to the young Italian Jesuit who gave up wealth and nobility to serve the sick — patron of youth, students, and those suffering from epidemic disease
St. Aloysius Gonzaga was a young Italian Jesuit who gave up wealth and nobility to serve the sick, and he died in 1591 after caring for plague victims. He is the patron of youth and students. This novena asks for purity, generosity and perseverance. His feast is June 21. He was only twenty-three when he died, and the Church honours him as the patron of youth. Pray it with your teenager, before exams, or when you are tempted to put off a promise. Ask for a generous heart in youth.
A novena is nine consecutive days of prayer. Begin nine days before the feast (June 21) and finish on its eve. You can pray this novena at any time of year.
Pray this novena with daily reminders in the Sacred Novenas app
Open in the app App StoreGoogle PlayNovena to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga – prayer for all nine days
Intention: For Young People, Students, and Those Who Serve the Sick with Courage
Aloysius Gonzaga was born to one of the most powerful noble families in Italy. His father had planned a military and political career for him. Instead, at age 18, Aloysius renounced his inheritance — signing away lands, titles, and wealth — and entered the Society of Jesus.
When plague struck Rome in 1591, the Jesuits opened a hospital. Aloysius volunteered to carry the sick from the streets himself. He was 23 years old. He worked until he too contracted the plague.
He died months later. His last words were a name: 'Jesus.'
Saint Aloysius, you had everything the world calls valuable — rank, wealth, a powerful name, a future mapped out in comfort. You walked away from all of it. Not dramatically. Quietly, methodically, legally.
You then spent your short life doing things that were beneath your station: carrying sick strangers, washing wounds, sitting with dying people no one else would touch.
(Pause to mention your intentions)
For every young person trying to figure out what their life is for — give them your clarity. For students under pressure, uncertain of their path — give them your peace. For anyone who serves the sick, the outcast, the contagious — give them your courage and your protection.
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, patron of youth, pray for us.
Hail Mary... Our Father... Glory Be...
Saint Aloysius, pray for us.
Pray this prayer once a day for nine days in a row.
Traditional Catholic Devotional Prayer · Feast Day: June 21. Luigi Gonzaga (1568-1591) was born into Italian nobility and renounced his inheritance to join the Jesuits. During the plague epidemic in Rome in 1591, he volunteered to carry the sick from the streets to hospitals. He contracted the plague himself and died at age 23. He was canonized in 1726 and declared patron of youth.
More novenas
- St. Jude Novena
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena
- St. Joseph Novena
- St. Therese Novena
- St. Anthony of Padua Novena
- St. Rita Novena
Frequently asked questions
When should I start the Novena to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga?
Begin on June 12 to end on June 20, the eve of the feast on June 21.
How do I pray the Novena to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga?
Pray the daily prayer once a day, and visit someone who is sick.
Who is the Novena to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga for?
It is for teenagers, students and those who care for the sick.
Pray this novena with daily reminders in the Sacred Novenas app
Open in the app App StoreGoogle Play