The article examines the life of Klemens Maria Hofbauer through the prism of socio-political and cultural currents. It emphasises that the founder of the Redemptorist Order was a saint of the Enlightenment, but one who transcended the boundaries of his epoch. The cultural and civilisational achievements and struggles of his time mobilised him without destroying his faith, his apostolic and social passion. He consistently "did his own thing". His life's work testifies to his positive commitment to the culture of the Enlightenment, but also to his criticism of the currents of the age beyond which he looked.