Gerolamo Emiliani

Gerolamo Emiliani (Italian: Gerolamo Emiliani also Jerome

Aemilian, Hiëronymus Emiliani) (1486 – 8 February 1537) was
Saint Jerome Emiliani
an Italian humanitarian, founder of the Somaschi Fathers, and is
considered a saint by the Catholic church. He was canonized in
1767 and is the patron saint of orphans.[1]

Contents
Biography
Congregation of Regular Clerics
Veneration
Saint Gerolamo Emiliani by
Patronage
Giandomenico Tiepolo
See also
Born 1486
References Venice
External links Died 8 February 1537
(aged 50–51)
Somasca
Biography
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church

Jerome was born in Venice, the son of Angelo Emiliani (popularly Beatified 1747 by Pope Benedict
called Miani) and Eleonore Mauroceni. His father died when he XIV
was a teenager and Gerolamo ran away at the age of 15 to join the Canonized 1767 by Pope Clement
army. In 1508, he participated in the defense of Castelnuovo
XIII
against the League of Cambray (this was two years before Pope
Julius II joined the Venetians). He was appointed governor of a Feast 8 February
fortress in the mountains of Treviso, and while defending his post 20 July (General Roman
he was taken prisoner. He had not cared about God but he Calendar, 1769–1969)
attributed his escape to the intercession of the Mother of God; and Patronage orphans and
he made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Treviso, in
abandoned children
fulfillment of a vow, and left his chains as an offering.[2] He was
then appointed podestà (Venetian magistrate) of Castelnuovo di
Quero, but after a short time returned to Venice to supervise the education of his nephews. All his spare time
was devoted to the study of theology and to works of charity. In the year of plague and famine (1528), he
seemed to be everywhere and showed his zeal, especially for the orphans, whose number had so greatly
increased. Jerome began caring for the sick and feeding the hungry at his own expense.[3] He rented a house
for them near the church of St. Rose and, with the assistance of some pious laymen, ministered to their needs.
To his charge was also committed the hospital for incurables, founded by Saint Cajetan. In 1531 he went to
Verona and induced the citizens to build a hospital; in Brescia, Bergamo, Milan and other places in northern
Italy, he erected orphanages, for boys and for girls. At Bergamo, he also founded a hostel for repentant
prostitutes.[4]

Congregation of Regular Clerics

Two priests, Alessandro Besuzio and Agostino Bariso, then joined him in his labors of charity, and in 1532
Gerolamo founded a religious society, the Congregation of Regular Clerics.[4] The motherhouse was at
Somasca, a secluded northern Italian hamlet in the comune of Vercurago between Milan and Bergamo, after
which the members became known as Somaschi. In the rule of this congregation, Gerolamo stated the
principal work of the community was the care of orphans, poor and sick, and demanded that dwellings, food
and clothing would bear the mark of religious poverty.[1] Devoted to the guardian angels, Emiliani entrusted
the congregation to the protection of the Virgin, the Holy Spirit and the Archangel Raphael.[5]

The congregation was approved in 1540 by Pope Paul III with the official name "Clerici Regulares S. Majoli
Papiae Congregationis Somaschae", and spread throughout Italy.[4]

During an epidemic, Jerome was assisting the sick when he contracted the plague. He died in Somasca, 8
February 1537.[6]

Veneration
He was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV in 1747, and canonized by Pope Clement XIII on 16 July 1767.[3]
The Office and Mass in his honor were approved eight years later. He was thus not included in the 1570
Tridentine Calendar. When inserted in the Roman Calendar in 1769, he was assigned the date of 20 July. In
1969, Pope Paul VI moved his feast to the day of his death, 8 February.[7]

Patronage

In 1928, Pope Pius XI named him the patron of orphans and abandoned children.[3]

See also
Martinitt, Milan orphanage founded by Emiliani
Saint Gerolamo Emiliani, patron saint archive

References
1. "St. Jerome Emiliani" (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08343a.htm). Catholic Encyclopedia.
2. "Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney – Events" (http://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest_news/2
010/201029_308.shtml). sydneycatholic.org.
3. Foley O.F.M., Leonard. "St. Jerome Emiliani", Saint of the Day, Lives, Lessons, and Feast,
(revised by Pat McCloskey O.F.M.), Franciscan Media (http://www.americancatholic.org/Feature
s/Saints/saint.aspx?id=1286)
4. Guerin, Paul. Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints,(Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 8 (htt
p://magnificat.ca/cal/en/saints/saint_jerome_emiliani.html)
5. "Google Traduttore" (https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://santiebeati.it/Detailed/2605
0.html&langpair=it%7Cen&hl=it&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools).
google.com.
6. "St. Jerome Emiliani: A Different Kind of Saint", Somascan Fathers and Brothers (http://www.so
mascans.org/St.Jerome.htm) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20131206164748/http://so
mascans.org/St.Jerome.htm) 6 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
7. Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vatican), pages 87 and 130
External links
Somascan Fathers (http://www.somascans.org/)
Founder Statue in St Peter's Basilica (http://www.stpetersbasilica.info/Statues/Founders/Jerom
eEmiliani/Jerome%20Emiliani.htm)

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed.
(1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Missing or empty |title= (help)

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