The Diocese of Youngstown, in Ohio, celebrated the feast day of St. Alphonsus Liguori on Aug. 1, describing him as a practical model for everyday Christians.

“St. Alphonsus was known above all as a practical man who dealt in the concrete rather than the abstract,” the diocese said in a Facebook posting. “His life is indeed a practical model for the everyday Christian who has difficulty recognizing the dignity of Christian life amid the swirl of problems, pain, misunderstanding and failure. Alphonsus suffered all these things. He is a saint because he was able to maintain an intimate sense of the presence of the suffering Christ through it all.” 

St. Alphonsus Liguori was born in Italy in 1696 and chose the law as his first career. After eight years as a lawyer, he pursued the priesthood, according to Britannica. Six years after the switch, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists. 

Pope Clement XIII appointed him to serve as Bishop of Sant’ Agata del Goti in 1762. St. Alphonsus wrote extensively, mostly about moral theology, though he penned some devotional and dogmatic writings as well. 

He died at the age of 90 in 1787, Britannica said, and was canonized in 1839. Pope Pius IX declared Alphonsus a Doctor of the Church in 1871, and in 1950, Pope Pius XII named him the patron saint of moralists and confessors. 

The Redemptorists were dedicated to imitating Christ as best they could, and they did this primarily through serving in missions in rural areas, Franciscan Media reported. Alphonsus is also the patron saint of theologians and vocations. 

A pope can bestow the “Doctor of the Church” title on someone who has made significant and lasting contributions to the Church, according to Crossroads Initiative. There are three prerequisites for such consideration: “holiness that is truly outstanding, even among saints”; “depth of doctrinal insight”; and “an extensive body of writings which the church can recommend as an expression of the authentic and life-giving Catholic tradition.” Throughout history, only 37 people have ever been granted the title.