Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez (1533-1617)

Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez was born in Segovia, Spain. He was the son of a wool merchant who died when Alphonsus was young, leaving the business to him. He married and had three children. Not long after, he found himself a widower with only one surviving child. On the death of his third child, his thoughts turned to religious life. After some setbacks, he joined the Society of Jesus on January 31, 1571, at the age of 40. After six months, he was sent to the college in Majorca, where he was assigned the humble position of a porter. He exercised a wonderful influence on the sanctification of the members of the household, as well as many people who came to the porter's house for advice and guidance. One of the notable Jesuits that Alphonsus influenced was Saint Peter Claver, who lived for some time at Majorca. Saint Alphonsus died on October 31, 1617, and was canonized in 1888.