Born in Venice, Jerome founded a religious congregation of Clerks Regular to devote themselves to the education of youth in orphanages and colleges. Inspired with a great love of the poor he was lavish in his giving of alms and opened many places of refuge for them. He died of the plague in 1537 at the hospital in Somascha which he had founded; at the height of the epidemic he carried the bodies of the plague-stricken on his back to their burial place. Pius XI named him the patron of orphans and foundlings.