This is a short description of the life of St. Alphonsis Maria Ligori, saint and doctor of the church, as told in the old divine office, and the forward to the book, Victories of the Martyrs, published by Eternopress.

Born at Naples of noble parents, Alphonsus Maria Ligori, as a very young man took delight in caring for the sick in the public hospitals and devoting his spare time to prayer in churches.

In obedience to his father, he became a lawyer, but when he had experienced the dangers of this kind of career, he abandoned the profession.

He renounced his right of inheritance as old as son and became a priest, attacking vice with such zeal that he obtained the conversions

of a great number of sinners.

He took special pity on the poor and those living in rural districts and founded the

congregation of priests of the Most Holy Redeemer to preach the gospel to them.

Lest anything should turn him from his determination, he bound himself by a perpetual vow,

never to waste any time. Constance in contemplating the passion of the Lord and the Holy Eucharist,

he was outstanding in his devotion to the Holy Mother of God, being more than once refreshed

by signs of her heavenly protection. He wrote many books of religious instruction and of devotion

by which he strove to gain souls for Christ. He consistently refused the ecclesiastical

honors offered to him, but was compelled by the Holy See to accept the bishopric of the Church

of Saint Agatha de Goti, where he was generous to the poor and made himself all things

to all men. He also brought back nuns to a more perfect form of life. Serious chronic illnesses

led him to resign the Episcopal office and return to his disciples. Finally, at the age of

90 years, radiant with innocence of life and penance, he died a most

peaceful death in the year 1787. Pope Pius 9th declared him a doctor of the Universal

Church, and Pope Pius XIus 12th established him as the heavenly patron before God of all

confessors and moral theologians. By means of the penances he took upon himself, it could be said that St. Alphansus was his own tyrant and his own executioner.

Although he had never committed a grievous sin from his youth, yet impelled by his ardent love for Jesus Christ,

he gave himself up to the most cruel penances, and God permitted that he could continue them to the age of nearly 91 years.

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