St. Aloysius Gonzaga was a scholar and patron of youth. He was born in Castiglione Castle in Italy on March 9, 1568. He was the eldest son of Ferdinand Gonzaga, the marquis of Mantua-Castiglione, and was sent to serve as a page in the court of King Philip II of Spain in 1581. He also served as a page in the court of Francesco de Medici and came under the spiritual guidance of St. Charles Borromeo. While in the court of Philip II, Aloysius decided to embrace the religious life, choosing the Discalced Carmelites at first and then the Jesuits. In 1584, he returned to Italy, where he won his father's approval to renounce his title and inheritance. He then presented himself to Claudius Acquaviva, the father general of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, on November 25, 1585.

A brilliant man and both trained philosopher and mathematician, Aloysius earned honors at the University of Alcala. During his Jesuit novitiate, or early period of training, he was singled out for his intellect and for his piety. In 1590, he received a vision that declared he would die within a year. In the vision, the Archangel Gabriel led Aloysius and St. Anthony of Padua to heaven. When a famine developed in Italy, a form of plague swept across the land. Aloysius cared for the victims, contracted the plague, and died on June 21, 1591, after receiving the last rites from St. Robert Bellarmine.