St. Alphonsus was a former lawyer who was later ordained and became not only a bishop, but also a Doctor of the Church. He was a prolific writer, composer, musician, poet, scholastic philosopher, and theologian. He was the founder of the Redemptorist Order, a congregation of missionary priests and brothers who preach the Word and serve the poor and most abandoned.
Alphonsus Maria de 'Liguori was born near Naples in 1696. His parents were Giuseppe, a retired naval captain, and Anna, who had a great zeal for the faith. His father wanted his eldest son to receive a good education, so Alphonsus as a child was educated by instructors. At thirteen, he started his law studies and by sixteen, he obtained his doctorate in civil and canon law, four years early. He was an extremely successful lawyer. While visiting a hospital for the sick and incurable, he twice heard an inner voice that said, "Leave the world and give yourself to me." He went to the church of Our Lady of Mercy, put down his sword on the altar, and asked to become part of the Oratory priests. Giuseppe tried to dissuade his son, but eventually left him to become a priest, provided, however, that it remained in the house and would not enter into the congregation of the Oratory priests. Alphonsus accepted, listening to the advice of Oratorian Pagano, his spiritual director.
He began to study theology in the house and in 1726 and was ordained a priest. For two years he devoted himself to apostolic activity in the kingdom of Naples and earned a reputation for being an outspoken preacher and an effective confessor. At this time, the spirituality of the heretical Jansenists left so many of the faithful feeling unworthy of being able to receive Holy Communion. It was to counter this attitude that Alphonsus wrote his moral theology textbooks and urged people to receive Holy Communion frequently and to develop a deep devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He wrote his 31 visits to the Blessed Sacrament, one for each day of the month. He never separated devotion to the Blessed Sacrament from the gift of Holy Communion, which enlightened him to write his Spiritual Communion:
“My Jesus, I believe you are really here in the Blessed Sacrament. I love you more than anything in the world, and I hunger to feed on your body. But since I cannot receive Communion at this moment, feed my soul at least spiritually. I unite myself to you now as I do when I actually receive you. Never let me be parted from you.”
Alphonsus marveled at the graciousness of a God who loved us so much that not only did He enter into our experience by becoming one of us and sharing in the pain and suffering of our experience, but He also gave Himself to be our spiritual food and drink as well as sharing His mother with us. In the case of the Eucharist, Alphonsus could never quite get over the fact that God had literally put Himself into our hands. The fact that at the Last Supper He fulfilled His promise not to leave us by taking the bread and wine and transforming them into Himself left Alphonsus overwhelmed with gratitude and desperate that we should develop a deep reverence and love of this gift too.
With the experience of a former lawyer and a strict and sensitive preacher, he became a prominent moral theologian. Alphonsus was stern, yet full of tenderness and mercy; being himself plagued by frequent scruples, was especially kind to those who were prey. He was sixty-six years when Pope Clement XIII appointed him bishop of Sant'Agata de' Goti, between Benevento and Capua. In this place, a plague and famine broke out. Given that thousands of people were starving, he sold everything to buy food for the hungry, accruing many debts to procure aid. At one point the people in turmoil wanted to kill the mayor of Sant'Agata de' Goti, with whom they wrongly accused of concealing food. Alphonsus, challenging their fury, offered his life in place of that of the mayor, and then calmed them by distributing food rations for two days. Bishop Alphonsus became very concerned of public morality. This earned him many enemies, so much so that his life was often threatened by high-ranking people or those against whom he had brought court proceedings.
Alphonsus resigned as bishop in 1775 and later returned to his native village as his health began to deteriorate. On August 1, 1787, Alphonsus died at the age of 90 years old. He was beatified September 15, 1816 and canonized May 26, 1839. In 1871 Pius IX declared St. Alphonsus Liguori a doctor of the Church and in 1950, Pius XII declared him the patron of moralists and confessors.
Fr. Tim Buckley. “The Eucharist and Saint Alphonsus.” The Redemptorists of the London Province. 5 May 2024. www.redemptorists.co.uk/news/news-items/180-the-eucharist-and-saint-alphonsus.html#:~:text=But%20in%20the%20case%20of,and%20drink%20as%20well%20as.
“Who was St. Alphonsus Liguori?” St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church. 5 May 2024. zionsvillecatholic.com/saint-alphonsus-liguori-.
“Who was Saint Alphonsus Liguori.” St. Alphonsus Liguori Church: Prospect Heights, IL. 5 May 2024. saintalphonsusph.org/who-was-saint-alphonsus-liguori.
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