Feast: July 20 (Traditional Calendar) | February 8 (Modern Calendar)
Born: 1486, Venice, Italy
Died: February 8, 1537, Somasca, Italy
Canonized: 1767 by Pope Clement XIII
Patron of: Orphans, abandoned children, and youth in need
Early Life
Jerome Emiliani was born in Venice, into the noble Emiliani (Aemilianus) family. Though of noble blood, his early life was marked more by ambition than piety. He pursued a military career in the service of the Venetian Republic and was appointed commander of a fortress in the mountains near Treviso.
Conversion in Captivity
In 1511, during the war with the League of Cambrai, Jerome was taken prisoner. Imprisoned in a dungeon, chained and deprived of food, he turned to the Blessed Virgin Mary in heartfelt prayer. Miraculously, his chains fell off, and he escaped unharmed—an event he attributed to the intercession of Our Lady. This marked the decisive turning point of his life.
Upon his return to Venice, he made a pilgrimage of thanksgiving to the shrine of Our Lady at Treviso, publicly hanging up his chains as a testimony of the miracle. From this point onward, he renounced the world and its vanities and dedicated himself entirely to God and to works of mercy.
Life of Charity
Venice, in the early 16th century, was plagued by famine, war, and epidemic. St. Jerome devoted himself to the care of the sick, poor, and orphaned, many of whom had lost parents to the plague. He sold his own property and used the funds to care for those in need.
He founded orphanages, hospitals, and shelters, often working with his own hands to nurse the sick and feed the hungry. He particularly took to heart the needs of abandoned children, teaching them the Faith and useful trades.
In 1532, he founded the Clerks Regular of Somasca (Congregatio Clericorum Regularium Somaschae), named after the town of Somasca, near Bergamo, where he established his community. The congregation was devoted to the education of youth, care for orphans, and the practice of poverty, chastity, and obedience without solemn vows. St. Jerome insisted on humility, simplicity, and loving service in imitation of Christ.
Death and Legacy
During an outbreak of the plague in 1537, Jerome contracted the disease while caring for the sick. He accepted his sufferings as reparation for sin and as a final offering to God. He died on February 8, 1537, at the age of 51.
He was beatified in 1747 and canonized in 1767 by Pope Clement XIII. In 1928, Pope Pius XI declared him the Patron of Orphans and Abandoned Children.
✠ Virtues and Spiritual Legacy
- Charity: His life is a model of self-sacrificing love for the poor and the forgotten.
- Penance: He lived austerely, often fasting and wearing coarse garments as reparation for his earlier sins.
- Devotion to Our Lady: He owed his conversion and freedom to her intercession, and remained deeply Marian throughout his life.
- Education and Formation: He labored for the Christian formation of youth, both spiritually and practically.