St. Jerome Emiliani (Miani) was born in 1486, Venice, Italy, in a noble family. Despite the wealth and fame, his childhood was heavily marked by the tragic death of his father. As a young man, Jerome went astray from the sound Christian principles, partly due to his military career. However, his mother Eleanor’s constant prayer and example of pious life was not without its own impact on his life.
At the age of 25, he was appointed governor of a stronghold that was standing on the Alps to defend the Venetian territory. In an encounter with the Germans, Jerome was captured and was imprisoned in a dungeon. As no one came forward to ransom him, He felt abandoned by everyone; his dreams shattered and left with no other option, he turned his eyes towards God, obviously reminded of his mother’s example. He was miraculously liberated from the prison through the intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary and this experience marked the beginning of his conversion journey.
The terrible pestilence of 1528 in the northern part of Italy served as an impulse to devote his life to the care of those who were orphaned and abandoned. He became a caring father of orphans. Hearing of his humanitarian accomplishments and his exemplary Christian life style, many people of good will- both laymen and priests- were attracted to join him. This was the beginning of “the Company of the Servants of the Poor”, now known as the “Congregation of the Somascan Fathers”
His liturgical feast is celebrated on the 8 th of February, the day he returned to the Fathers House. In 1920, the Church proclaimed him “father of Orphans and universal patron of needy youth”. The followers of St. Jerome, the Somascans, are currently present in 19 countries across five continents, serving the Church in various ways, especially by reflecting the fatherhood of God to orphans and needy youth.