In the sanctuary at Mother of God Church, on the far right, there is a statue of a young man, dressed in a cassock and surplice. That is St. Aloysius Gonzaga, who is one of the patron saints of our parish. The parish of St. Aloysius Gonzaga was a neighbor to Mother of God for a very long time. In the mid-1980s, the church was struck by lightning and burned. The parish became part of Mother of God. Some of the money that came to us from that merger was used to build the St. Aloysius Center, which now houses our parish offices.
    
Aloysius was born in Northern Italy. He was a very devout young man. At an early age, he was accepted into the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and had to be told to ease up on his fasting and to be more social with the other students. He always had serious health issues.
    
Aloysius was studying in Rome when a plague struck the city. He began working with the sick, washing and cleaning and feeding them. But he became sick as well and died on June 21, 1581.
    
The feast day for St. Aloysius Gonzaga will be on Friday, June 21.