May 3, 2012. (Romereports.com) Among the many religious orders of the Catholic Church, each one has their own unique story. These priests are members of the Order of Somascan Fathers, and they're gathered in celebration of when their founder Jerome Emiliani escaped captivity after being taken as a prisoner of war.


Fr. Alberto Monnis
Order of Somascan Fathers
“He was a nobleman from Venice who was released through the intervention of the Virgin Mary so now we remember this event because for us this is like the foundation. So eventually he did many other things but that was the founding moment of his new life at the service of the poor people.”

To celebrate this anniversary, the congregation has been holding activities throughout the year with commemorative concerts and a collection of stamps that remember the Venetian saint. They have also completed building two schools in Nigeria and Haiti.

These fathers gathered in Rome's Aventine Hill at the beautiful Basilica of Saints Bonifacio and Alessio, the site serves as the home for the members of this order that have one of the best views of St. Peter's Basilica.  

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