Jerome Emiliani was born in Venice. He was the son of Angelo Emiliani( popularly called Miani) and Eleonore Mauroceni. He joined the army and, in 1508, defended Castelnuovo against the League of Cambray. He was taken as a prisoner and was miraculously liberated. He made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Treviso, in fulfillment of a vow. He was then appointed Venetian Magistrate of Castelnuovo, 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.
The hospitals and the hovels of the poor were his favorite resorts. 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. He rented a house for them near the church of St. Rose and, with the assistance of some pious laymen, ministered to their wants. To his charge was also committed the hospital for incurables, founded by St. Cajetan. In 1531 he went to Verona and induced the citizens to build a hospital; at Brescia and at Bergamo, he erected orphanages, one for boys and another for girls. Here also he founded the first home for repentant prostitutes.
Two priests, Alessandro Besuzio and Agostino Bariso, then joined him in his labors of charity, and in 1532 Gerolamo founded a religious society, placing the motherhouse at Somasca, a secluded North Italian hamlet in the Comune of Vercurago between Milan and Bergamo, after which the members became known as Somaschi. In the Rule of this Society, 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.
St. Jerome became a martyr to his zeal; contracting a disease at Bergamo, he died at Somasca in 1537.
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