SOMASCAN FATHERS

(Clericorum Regularium Somaschensium, CRS, Official Catholic Directory #1250); also known as Order of St. Jerome Aemilian. The Order of Clerics Regular of Somascha, a religious community of men was begun at Venice, Italy, in 1528 by St. Jerome emiliani to care for orphan children and to teach Christian doctrine. The founder, who remained a layman, died in Somasca (from which the order took its name), a town near Bergamo, Italy, on Feb. 8, 1537. In the beginning the order was called the Society of Servants for the Poor, and its membership included both clerics and laymen. On June 6, 1540, the society was approved by Paul III. In 1547 Paul IV, the former Gian Pietro Caraffa, who had been the confessor of Emiliani, united the society with the the atines. This union lasted only until 1555, because of differences in ideals between the two groups. An attempt was made also for union with the Jesuits, but without success. On Dec. 6, 1568, Pius V promoted the society to a religious order, gave it its present title, and extended its activities to work in seminaries, colleges, academies, and parishes.

During the 17th century the order experienced growth and progress. Some of its distinguished institutions at that time were: the seminary in Venice; the Cardinal Gallio College in Como, Italy; and the Clementine College in Rome, where Prospero Lambertini (later Benedict XIV) was a student. In 1616 Paul V united the Congregation of Christian Doctrine of France, at the request of its members, to the Somaschi Fathers—a union that lasted until 1647. Urban VIII in 1626 approved definitively the constitutions of the order. Among the notable members of the community were: Angiolmarco Gambarana (1498–1573), outstanding for his sanctity; Giacomo Stellini (1699–1770), philosopher; and Francesco Soave (1743–1806), a teacher who had among his students the famous Alessandro Manzoni. During the 19th century the Somaschi Fathers, like all other religious, suffered greatly from suppression and confiscation in Europe. In the early 20th century, it recovered and established houses in Switzerland, Spain, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Brazil, and the U.S.

The Somascan Fathers established their first foundation in Manchester, NH, with a program aimed at the needs of youth. The U.S. headquarters is in Suncook, NH; the generalate is in Rome.

Bibliography: p. bianchini, Origine e sviluppo della Compagnia dei Servi dei Poveri (Milan 1941). s. raviolo, Lineamenti di storia dei CC. RR. Somaschi (Rome 1957).

[p. bianchini/eds.]