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Today’s missionary hero was an Italian who lived in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries. His name was Jerome.
Jerome Emiliani was born in Venice, Italy sometime in 1481. When he was only 5-years old, his father died.
At the age of 15, Jerome ran away from home to join the army of the City-State of Venice. Unfortunately, in one battle, he was captured and chained in a dungeon.
While in prison, Jerome began thinking about his life and what he wanted to do with it. Although he did not have much use for religion before his imprisonment, he now turned to God in a special way. He also made a vow to the Virgin Mary. Jerome was able to miraculously escape, which he attributed to Mary’s intervention. As a result of his escape, he made his way to Treviso where he hung up his chains in the church. Eventually, he became mayor of the town.
Jerome did not stay long in Treviso. Instead, he returned to Venice to oversee the education of his nephews and to study for the priesthood. In 1518, Jerome was ordained a priest. At that time, there was not only a famine causing much suffering in the area, but also plague was devastating the population.
Fr. Jerome, with great zeal and passion, threw himself into nursing the sick and feeding the hungry at his own expense. He also developed a special love for orphans and abandoned children and rented a house for them. There, he would teach them catechism and made sure they had food and clothes. During this time, Fr. Jerome caught the plague while nursing the sick, but he recovered.
In 1531, Fr. Jerome expanded his work to other cities, founding orphanages, hospitals, and a home for former prostitutes.
With two other priests, Jerome founded a new religious congregation called the Clerks Regular of Somasca – or Somaschi for short. The main work of this new Order was to care for orphans.
Fr. Jerome died on February 8, 1537 from an infectious disease that he caught while nursing the sick.
Pope Clement XIII canonized Jerome on October 12, 1767. Pope Pius XI declared him to be a patron saint of orphans and abandoned children in 1928.
St. Jerome Emiliani’s feast day is February 8.
