Saint Alphonsus Liguori
Founder of the Redemptorists, Bishop, Doctor of the Church, Patron of Confessors and Moralists
Born	September 27, 1696 in Marianella, Kingdom of Naples, Italy
Died	August 1, 1787 in Pagani, Italy
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Canonized	1831 by Pope Gregory XVI
Feast	August 1
Patronage	confessors, moralists, theologians, vocations
Saints Portal

Saint Alphonsus Liguori (27 September 1696 – 1 August 1787) was an Italian Doctor of the Catholic Church, spiritual writer, and founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer or Redemptorists, an influential religious order. Image File history File links St_Alphonsus_Liguori. ... The Kingdom of Naples was born out of the division of the Kingdom of Sicily after the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. ... Pagani is a town in Campania, Italy, administratively part of the Province of Salerno. ... Canonization is the process of declaring someone a saint and involves proving that a candidate has lived in such a way that he or she qualifies for this. ... Pope Gregory XVI, OSB (September 18, 1765 – June 1, 1846) born Bartolomeo Alberto Mauro Cappellari , was Pope from 1831 to 1846. ... The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more saints, and referring to the day as that saints day. ... In several forms of the church of Christianity, but especially in Roman Catholicism, a patron saint has special affinity for a trade or group. ... Image File history File links Gloriole. ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The year 1696 had the earliest equinoxes and solstices for 400 years in the Gregorian calendar, because this year is a leap year and the Gregorian calendar would have behaved like the Julian calendar since March 1500 had it have been in use that long. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ... Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. ... The term writer can apply to anyone who creates a written work, but the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Latin: Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris – C.Ss. ... The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Latin: Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris) is a Roman Catholic order founded in 1732 by Saint Alphonsus Liguori. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Monasticism. ...

Biography

Saint Alphonsus Liguori was born in Marianella, in the Kingdom of Naples. He was the first born of a rather large family belonging to the Neapolitan nobility. The Kingdom of Naples was born out of the division of the Kingdom of Sicily after the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. ... Country Italy Region Campania Province Naples (NA) Mayor Rosa Russo Jervolino Elevation 17 m Area 117 km² Population  - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 1,000,470  - Density 8,457/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Napoletani Dialing code 081 Postal code 80100 Patron Saint Januarius  - Day September... // Nobility is a traditional hereditary status (see hereditary titles) that exists today in many countries (mainly present or former monarchies). ...

In 1723, after a long process of discernment, he abandoned his legal career and, despite his father's strong opposition, began his seminary studies in preparation for the priesthood. He was ordained a priest on 21 December 1726, at the age of 30. He lived his first years as a priest with the homeless and marginalized youth of Naples. He founded the "Evening Chapels". Run by the young people themselves, these chapels were centers of prayer, community, the Word of God, social activities and education. At the time of his death, there were 72 of these chapels with over 10,000 active participants. Events February 16 - Louis XV of France attains his majority Births February 24 - John Burgoyne, British general (d. ... Discernment is a term used in the Catholic Church, and other Christian traditions to describe the process of ascertaining Gods will for ones life. ... A seminary is a specialized university-like institution for the purpose of instructing students (seminarians) in theology, often in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ... A priesthood is a body of priests, shamans, or oracles who are thought to have special religious authority or function. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events George Friderich Handel becomes a British subject. ... Roman Catholic priests in traditional clerical clothing. ... A homeless man pushes a cart down the street. ...

In 1729 Alphonsus left his family home and took up residence in the Chinese College in Naples. It was there that he began his missionary experience in the interior regions of the Kingdom of Naples where he found people who were much poorer and more abandoned than any of the street children in Naples. Events July 30 - Baltimore, Maryland is founded. ... The Kingdom of Naples was born out of the division of the Kingdom of Sicily after the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. ...

On 9 November 1732 Alphonsus founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, in order to follow the example of Jesus announcing the Good News to the poor and the most abandoned. From that time on, he gave himself entirely to this new mission. November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... Events February 23 - First performance of Handels Orlando, in London June 9 - James Oglethorpe is granted a royal charter for the colony of Georgia. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ...

Alphonsus was consecrated bishop of the diocese of Sant'Agata dei Goti in 1762. He was 66 years old. He tried to refuse the appointment because he felt too old and too sick to properly care for the diocese. In 1775 he was allowed to retire from his office and went to live in the Redemptorist community in Pagani where he died on 1 August 1787. He was canonized in 1831 by Pope Gregory XVI, proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1871 by Pope Pius IX, and Patron of Confessors and Moralists in 1950. A mitre is used as a symbol of the bishops ministry. ... Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Pagani Automobili S.P.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer of high-performance supercars and high quality carbon fiber that Lamborghini also uses in its cars. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... Canonization is the process of declaring someone a saint and involves proving that a candidate has lived in such a way that he or she qualifies for this. ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Gregory XVI, né Bartolommeo Alberto Cappellari (September 18, 1765 - June 1, 1846), was Pope from 1831 to 1846. ... In Catholicism, a Doctor of the Church (Lat. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Blessed Pope Pius IX, born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, ( May 13, 1792 – February 7, 1878) was pope for a record pontificate of over 31 years, from June 16, 1846 until his death. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Overview and works

Alphonsus was a lover of beauty, being a musician, painter, poet and author at the same time. He put all his artistic and literary creativity at the service of the Christian mission and he asked the same of those who joined his Congregation. He wrote one hundred and eleven works on spirituality and theology. The 21,500 editions and the translations into 72 languages that his works have undergone attest to the fact that he is one of the most widely read Catholic authors. Among his best known works are: The Great Means of Prayer, The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ, The Glories of Mary and The Visits to the Most Holy Sacrament. Prayer, love, his relationship with Christ and his first-hand experience of the pastoral needs of the faithful made Alphonsus one of the great masters of the interior life. A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ... Painting by Rembrandt self-portrait Detail from Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez, in which the painter portrayed himself at work For the computer graphics program, see Corel Painter. ... A poet is some one who writes poetry. ... An author is the person who creates a written work, such as a book, story, article or the like. ... Titians The Pastoral Concert Pastoral refers to the lifestyle of shepherds and pastoralists, moving livestock around larger areas of land according to seasons and availability of water and feed. ... Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. ...

His best known musical work is his Christmas hymn Quanno Nascetti Ninno, later translated into Italian by Pope Pius IX as the well known carol Tu scendi dalle stelle (From starry skies Thou comest). A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ... Pius IX, born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti (May 13, 1792 – February 7, 1878), was Pope for a record pontificate (not counting the Apostle St. ... Look up Carol and carol in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Alphonsus' greatest contribution to the Church was in the area of moral theological reflection with his Moral Theology. This work was born of Alphonsus' pastoral experience, his ability to respond to the practical questions posed by the faithful and from his contact with their everyday problems. He opposed the sterile legalism which was suffocating theology and he rejected the strict rigorism of the time, the product of the powerful theological and ecclesiastical elite. According to Alphonsus, those were paths that were closed to the Gospel because "such rigor has never been taught nor practiced by the Church". He knew how to put theological reflection at the service of the greatness and dignity of the person, of a moral conscience, and of evangelical mercy. Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason) means reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God. ...

External links

• The theology of vocation of St. Alphonsus Liguori and its influence on Opus Dei.
• Opera Omnia of St. Alphonsus Liguori