Home
 Vatican City Aerogramme of 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 commemoration of the 400th anniversary of his death. 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 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 and took 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. The aerogramme at the top of the article shows an image of Saint Luigi Gonzaga 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. Saint Luigi Gonzaga is the patron saint of Catholic Youth, seminarians and teenagers, and he 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. REFERENCES: |
