Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Alphonsus Liguori was born in Naples in 1696 and became a brilliant lawyer before leaving the legal profession for the priesthood. Southern Italy in his time was marked by poverty, uneven pastoral care, and debates in moral theology between harsh rigorism and lax permissiveness. Alphonsus sought a merciful, practical path that helped ordinary people follow Christ without despair.

In 1732 he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, the Redemptorists, to preach missions especially among the rural poor. Later made Bishop of Sant’Agata dei Goti, he wrote extensively on moral theology, prayer, and devotion to Mary. He died in 1787 and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1871, remembered for uniting truth with pastoral mercy.

Prayer: Saint Alphonsus Liguori, help us trust in God’s mercy and follow Christ with a well-formed conscience. Amen.