(Teutonic: adalfuns, willing)
Confessor, Doctor of the Church. Bishop of Sant' Agata dei Goti, born Marianella, near Naples, Italy, 1696; died Nocera de' Pagani, Italy, 1787. He took his degree of Doctor of Laws at sixteen, and practised successfully for eight years. Humiliated by failure to win an important case, he entered a missionary society of secular priests, the "Neapolitan Propaganda," was ordained December 21, 1726, and devoted his time to missionary labors among the poor. In 1732, with the help of bishop Thomas Falcoia of Castellamare, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer at Scala. He occupied the See of Sant' Agata dei Goti, 1762-1775, when he was permitted to retire. Enfeebled by illness and the constant struggle for recognition of his congregation by the civilauthorities, Alphonsus continued to work diligently and practise mortification. As a moral theologian he advocated a middle course between rigorism and laxity. The fruits of his labors are treatises on theology, dogma, and asceticism, poetry, musical compositions, and letters. Canonized, 1839. Emblems: image of Virgin, rosary, monstrance. Feast, Roman Calendar, August 2,.
This dictionary contains not only definitions and explanations of every subject in Religion, Scripture, tradition, doctrine, morals, sacraments, rites, customs, devotions and symbolism, but also accounts of the Church in every continent, country, diocese; missions, notable Catholic centers, cities, and places with religious names; religious orders, church societies, sects and false religions. It has brief articles also on historical events and personages, on the Old Testament and New, and on popes, prelates, priests, men and women of distinction, showing what the Church has done for civilization and correcting many errors which have hitherto passed for history.Wikipedia
Read More