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St. Alphonsus de LiguoriDoctor of the Church · Founder of the Redemptorists · Feast: 1 August Complete works, devotions, and prayers of St. Alphonsus de Liguori, free to read online. Books & Devotions
Pamphlets & Shorter WorksCatholic Truth Society pamphlets — shorter works and extracts attributed to St. Alphonsus:
Prayers
Life of St. Alphonsus de LiguoriSaint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori was born on 27 September 1696 at Marianella, near Naples, into an old and noble — though impoverished — Neapolitan family. His father was a naval officer and captain of the royal galleys. A gifted child, Alphonsus was educated by tutors and took his degree as Doctor of Laws at the age of sixteen, two years younger than the statutes normally allowed. By twenty-seven he was one of the leaders of the Neapolitan bar, said never to have lost a case in eight years of practice. That career ended abruptly in 1723. In a major lawsuit involving the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Alphonsus argued brilliantly but had misread a decisive document, and lost the case in open court. Humiliated, he withdrew from the law with the words, "World, I know you now." A short time later, while visiting the sick at the Hospital for Incurables, he experienced an interior call to "leave the world." He laid his sword before the statue of Our Lady at the church of the Redemption of Captives and resolved to become a priest. Over his father's strong objection, he was ordained on 21 December 1726, at the age of thirty, and gave missions among the poor of Naples. On 9 November 1732, at Scala in the mountains above Amalfi, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer — the Redemptorists — to preach to the abandoned country people. The early years were marked by dissension and near-collapse, but the institute survived and spread. In 1762 Alphonsus was compelled under obedience to accept the bishopric of Sant'Agata dei Goti, a small and neglected diocese he served for thirteen years, reforming his clergy, feeding the poor in famine, and restoring the study of moral theology. A severe attack of rheumatic fever in 1768–69 left him paralyzed and permanently bent. Pope Pius VI allowed him to resign his see in 1775, and he returned to the Redemptorist house at Nocera. His final years brought great suffering, including the painful "Regolamento" crisis of 1780 that divided his congregation and even cut him off from the order he had founded. He died at Nocera de' Pagani on 1 August 1787, nearly ninety-one years old, as the midday Angelus was ringing. He was beatified in 1816, canonized in 1839, and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1871. For the full account, see the Catholic Encyclopedia article on St. Alphonsus Liguori. Writings and InfluenceAlphonsus came to writing late, publishing his first small book, Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, around the age of fifty. He went on to become one of the most prolific and widely translated Catholic authors. His great Moral Theology (Theologia Moralis, 1753–55) ran through nine editions in his lifetime and, drawing on his training as a lawyer, charted a middle course between laxism and rigorism that he called Equiprobabilism — a system that profoundly shaped the practice of confession and earned him his title as Doctor of the Church. Alongside his theology he wrote a great body of dogmatic and devotional works in the vernacular, including The Glories of Mary, The True Spouse of Christ, The Great Means of Salvation, and Sermons for all the Sundays in the Year. He was also a poet and musician whose hymns are still sung in Italy. Themes of His Spirituality
Patronage and Feast DaySt. Alphonsus de Liguori is honored as a Doctor of the Church and was named the patron of confessors and moral theologians by Pope Pius XII in 1950. His feast day is 1 August. Frequently Asked QuestionsWho was St. Alphonsus de Liguori?An Italian bishop, moral theologian, and founder of the Redemptorists (1696–1787). A lawyer before ordination, he became one of the most widely published Catholic authors, was canonized in 1839, and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1871. What did St. Alphonsus de Liguori write?His best-known works include The Glories of Mary, his Moral Theology, Uniformity With God's Will, The Way of the Cross, The School of Christian Perfection, and Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, along with many sermons and hymns. Why is St. Alphonsus de Liguori a Doctor of the Church?He was named a Doctor of the Church in 1871 chiefly for his moral theology, especially his system of Equiprobabilism, which guided confessors between undue strictness and laxity. What is St. Alphonsus de Liguori the patron saint of?Pope Pius XII declared him the patron of confessors and moral theologians in 1950. When is the feast day of St. Alphonsus de Liguori?His feast is celebrated on 1 August, the day he died in 1787. What is his most famous book?The Glories of Mary, his treatise on the Blessed Virgin built around a commentary on the Salve Regina. Browse more on eCatholic2000: Library · Catholic Prayers · Saints Copyright ©1999-2026 Wildfire Fellowship, Inc all rights reserved |