Today, June 21, we celebrate the life of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga. Born in Castiglione delle Stiviere, Lombardy, at a very young age he decided to leave richness behind to dedicate his life to God. He joined the Society of Jesus and stood out for his deep devotion.

In 1591, during a plague epidemic in Rome, he served the sick in a Jesuit hospital: he cared for them, fed them, and accompanied them until their last breath. Through his love and service to the sick, he contracted the disease himself and gave his life, uniting fully with Christ in love for the most disadvantaged.

In 2002, the Jesuits created the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN) in Nairobi, Kenya. From its inception, the network chose Saint Aloysius Gonzaga as its patron and protector. He symbolizes compassion, humble service, and commitment to the sick, the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

A glimpse of AJAN’s impact across our centres in Africa — standing with the vulnerable and journeying with young people as they grow to live life to the fullest.

Today, this commemoration falls within the Jubilee Year of Hope. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga was a great witness to this hope. May he inspire more young people for the creation of a more caring and  just world inclined to protect the vulnerable.

We  entrust ourselves to his intercession, as well as of all those infected and affected by HIV in various ways, the most disadvantaged in our society, and the work of the AJAN Network across Africa.