Pontifical Basilica of St. Alphonsus Liguori and His Tomb

Why pilgrims come

Visit the resting place and legacy of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

The Redemptorist basilica at Pagani preserves the mortal remains of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, bishop, spiritual writer, composer, and Doctor of the Church. The Redemptorist community describes Pagani as a historic house of the congregation and the place where its founder’s body is venerated.

Alphonsus founded the Redemptorists in 1732 to preach the Gospel especially among rural and spiritually neglected communities. His moral theology resisted both rigorism and laxity, insisting on pastoral prudence, conscience, mercy, and the practical work of guiding souls toward Christ. His Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, Glories of Mary, and devotional songs carried that pastoral instinct far beyond the classroom.

After years as bishop of Sant’Agata de’ Goti, Alphonsus retired to the Pagani community in 1775 and died here on August 1, 1787. His remains are venerated in a side chapel; the adjoining Alphonsian museum and rooms preserve clothing, books, personal objects, and the domestic setting of his final years. Pope St. John Paul II prayed at the shrine in 1990.

The museum and the religious house require advance coordination even when the basilica is open. Come first for Mass and prayer at the tomb, then ask how Alphonsus’s combination of learning, missionary zeal, and mercy might shape Catholic evangelization today.

Pray at the tomb of the missionary of mercy, then encounter the rooms and objects that locate his theology within a life spent for the abandoned.