The Saint of the Day for October 30 is St. Alonso RodriguezAlonso Rodriguez was born in Segovia, Spain, the third of 11 children into a wool merchant family.
His journey toward consecrated life was not a simple one. He began his studies with the Jesuits at age 14. Not much later, his father died So Alonso returned home to learn and manage the family business. At age 26, he married Mary Suarez. Together they had three children though two of them died in infancy. His wife rapidly followed their two children to the grave. By his early 30s, Alonso was a widower. He sold his business, which had suffered much, and moved in with his sisters, who helped him raise his son.
Not long after that, his son died as well. It was then that he decided to follow his call to the religious life. He was initially refused by the Jesuits because he lacked the education they required, but was later allowed to enter as a Jesuit lay brother in Valencia in 1571. He became a Jesuit lay brother at the age of 39, taking final vows at the age of 54.
Alonzo served as a porter at the Jesuit college in Majorca for 46 years. People sought his spiritual advice and he influenced many over the years at his post. He was the friend and roommate of St. Peter Claver and advised him to request missionary work in South America. He was also said to heal the sick by fervent prayer.
He underwent extreme self-imposed austerities, which nearly destroyed his health. Finally, at age 60 he was ordered to begin sleeping in a bed.
He died in 1617 of natural causes.
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