Saint Alphonsus María of Ligori

Doctor of the Church

Founder of the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer 

Saint Alphonsus María of Ligori, Ora pro nobis

Saints Alphonsus María of Ligori was born in 1696, in Naples. His father was the Captain of the Napoli royal galley. He was a excellent student and skilled in music and painting

He receive a doctorate in law when he was 16. He was a superb lawyer, famous for his talent. But all this worldly glories and triumphs affected his Piety. 

However, Our Lord stroked his pride in this way: In 1723, the duke of Gravina elected S.t Alphonsus to represent him in a demand again the duke of Tuscany. He did a brilliant introduction, but the contraries scorned his arguments as he interpreted a document according to the laws of Naples, while he should interpret it according to the laws of Lombardy where Tuscany is.   

This humiliated S.t Alphonsus horribly, and he was dissapointed in human laws and the world. He locked himself and rejected food. But later, he realize that God terminated his career so he could convert to Him. 

So, he abandoned it and dedicated himself to Charity and Pious excercises. The 28 of August of 1723, when he was leaving the hospital, he was surrounded by a mysterious light and the earth trembled below his feet. He listened inside himself a voice who told him: "¿Why do you wait to leave the world and leave yourself to me?. This happened two times. Saint Alphonsus left his sword under the statue of Our Lady of Mercy and promised to enter the eclesiastical state. The 21 of December of 1726, he was ordained Priest. 

For a long time he preached to the people of poor rural areas. By advice of a Bishop and in order to guarantee the security of the souls of the peasants, he founded the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer. 

Before some years, he was to fatigued to continue traveling, but he did not stop his evangelizing mission and wrote books, like Preparation for the Eternal life, The Glories of Mary, The vice of impurity, If you want to come with Me and Triumph Martyrs. In 1747, he was consecrated Bishop of a small neapolitan Diocese called Saint Agatha of the Goth. He reformed it well, altough they tried to murder him in various times.   

St Alphonsus health was getting weaker. He was paralysed by an attack of gout and his head was so bent that his chin wounded his chest. Anyway, he continued his function until 1775 when he was 79. 

He retired to the monastery of the order. He was blind and deaf and and constantly ill, in a way that he received the last rites nine times. Saint Alphonsus was also anguished about the future of the Order and suffered temptations against purity. 

Saint Alphonsus María of Ligori delivered his soul to God in August, 1787, aged 90. 

The information is from Tradition in action, altough the text is mine.