Which Catholic saint founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1732?

Saint Alphonsus Liguori founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1732.

Alphonsus was born in 1696 near Naples and initially trained as a lawyer. After losing an important case, he left legal practice and entered the priesthood. He became especially concerned with evangelizing rural and neglected communities in southern Italy, where many people had limited access to formal religious instruction.

In 1732 he founded the Redemptorists, formally known as the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. The community focused on preaching missions and pastoral work among poor people. Alphonsus later became bishop of Sant’Agata de’ Goti, though he continued writing and teaching.

He produced influential works on moral theology, prayer, and Marian devotion. Pope Pius IX declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1871. He is sometimes confused with Saint John Bosco, another major Catholic educator and founder, but their congregations and historical settings were different.