Notarial Deed
of the Profession of Vows
of the First Six Somascan Fathers

April 29, 1569
Milan, St. Martin of the Orphans

(AGCRS, B 80, cc. 1r-5v)

Translation Fr. Pierluigi Vajra crs
Bangalore, May 1, 2012

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	Among the minutes of the deeds drafted by me, Michael Sacchi, son of the late Magnificent Doctor in civil and canon law Andrew p. c., of the parish of St. Protasius at the monks, Milan, notary public by Apostolic and Imperial authority, a deed of of this kind, among other things, as follows:

	In the name of the Lord, during the year 1569 from His birth, in the twelfth year of its indiction, on a day of Friday, the twenty ninth of the month of April, and in the third year of the pontificate of the Most Holy Father in Christ, our Lord Pius the Fifth.

	In the presence of the Very Illustrious and Most Reverend Monsignor Caesar Gambara, Bishop of Tortona, Count and Senator of the Royal Duchy of Milan etc., solemnly elected for the matters below by the General Chapter of the Congregation of the Reverend Priests clerics and lay men of Somasca. In implementation of the Apostolic Brief of the Excellent Most Holy Pope Pius V, given in Rome on the sixth day of December 1568, as it appears in the public deed drafted by me, the undersigned notary, on the day of yesterday, the twenty eighth of April of the above mentioned year, etc.

	The Venerable Priests of the above mentioned Congregation:

Sir Priest Angel Mark of the Counts of Gambarana of Monte Segale
Sir Priest Vincent Trotti from Borgo Franco
Sir Priest Francis Faur [Spaur, translator's note] from Trent
Sir Priest John Scotti from Brescia

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Sir Priest Bernardino Castellani from the Camonica Valley, and
Sir Priest Reginald Piacentini from Salò,

have been constituted, all elected by order of the mentioned General Chapter, to make [their] profession in accordance with the form of the above mentioned Apostolic Brief. These, as they said here, have lived in the mentioned Congregation for a decade and more and laudably, in the institutions of the poor orphans, they served God the Almighty and worked hard.
	Having knelt in front of the above mentioned Most Reverend elected Bishop, they very humbly requested to be admitted to make the Profession in accordance with the above mentioned Apostolic Brief. And so, having kept what is to be kept in similar matters according to custom, of their own free will they made and make their own profession and the vows of their own profession. They state and attest that they want to live forever in the mentioned Congregation and religion of clerics regular of the Blessed Augustine who from now on are to profess public vows in such way as per the manner of the above mentioned Apostolic Brief, and [want to] constantly persevere, by the mercy and grace of God.
	All and each one of them individually offer here their written commitments

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or documents, undersigned by their own hand and read and recited aloud, audible to all, and take an oath upon the Holy Gospels, having laid their hand upon their chest, into the hands of the above mentioned Most Reverend Bishop as it is contained in those documents of the following kind, that is:

	Jesus Mary. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

	In the year of the Lord 1569, on the twenty ninth day of April, in the oratory of St. Martin of the Parish of St. Peter in Cornaredo of Porta Nuova [New Gate, translator's note] of Milan.
	I, the priest Angel Mark of the Counts of Gambarana and of Monte Segale, son of the late Sir John Andrew doctor in both, civil and canon law of the diocese of Pavia, having lived for more than a decade in the Congregation of Somasca, I make vow, commit myself and promise to God Almighty, to the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, to the Blessed Father Augustine, and to you, greatly Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Monsignor Caesar Gambara most worthy Bishop of Tortona, specially elected for this [purpose] by the clerics and lay men of the Congregation called of Somasca in force of the Apostolic Brief, obedience, chastity, and of living in common under the rule of Saint Augustine, the above mentioned our Father, as far as my frailty 

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is able to be stretched, with the help and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Holy Mother, and of all the heavenly court. [I also vow and promise] that, without permission of the General Superior or of the one who acts with his authority, I will not accept nor retain any benefit, wither with or without the care of souls, either within or without our Order of Clerics Regular, and this in accordance with the Constitutions, drafted or to be drafted by the above mentioned Congregation in force of the apostolic authority vested upon it, without prejudice, however, to my faculty to make a will about my patrimony if need be, with the authority of the Superior.
	I myself, Priest Angel Mark of the Counts of Gambarana and of Monte Segale state as above and pronounced with [my] mouth.

	In the year of the Lord 1569, on the twenty ninth day of April, in the oratory of St. Martin of the Parish of St. Peter in Cornaredo of Porta Nuova [New Gate, translator's note] of Milan.
	I, the priest Vincent Trotti son of the late Sir Jacob of Borgo Franco of the diocese of Pavia, having lived for more than a decade in the Congregation of Somasca, I make vow, commit myself and promise to God Almighty, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to the Blessed Father Augustine, and to you, greatly Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Monsignor Caesar Gambara most worthy Bishop of Tortona, specially elected for this [purpose] by the clerics and lay men of the same

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Congregation of Somasca in force of the Apostolic Brief, obedience, chastity, and poverty, of living in common under the rule of the above mentioned Father Saint Augustine as per my strength, with the help and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Holy Mother, and of all the heavenly court, and this in accordance with the Constitutions, drafted or to be drafted by the above mentioned Congregation in force of the apostolic authority vested upon it. May God so help me, and these Holy Gospels of God.
	I, Priest Vincent, who undersigned and pronounced the above.

	In the year of the Lord 1569, on the twenty ninth day of April, in the oratory of St. Martin of the Parish of St. Peter in Cornaredo of Porta Nuova [New Gate, translator's note] of Milan.
	I, the priest Francis son of the late Sir Anthony Faur [Spaur, Translator's note] of the diocese of Trent, having lived for more than a decade in the Congregation of the reverend priests of the Congregation of Somasca, I make vow, commit myself and promise to God Almighty, to the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, to the Blessed Father Augustine, and to you, greatly Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Monsignor Caesar Gambara most worthy Bishop of Tortona, specially elected for this [purpose]

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by the clerics and lay men of the above mentioned Congregation in force of the Apostolic Brief, obedience, chastity, and poverty as per my strength under the rule of the above mentioned Father Saint Augustine, with the help and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Holy Mother, and of all the heavenly court, and this in accordance with the Constitutions, canonically drafted or to be drafted by the above mentioned Congregation in force of the apostolic authority vested upon it. In witness whereof I wrote these things and undersigned [them] in my own hand.
	I myself, Priest Francis, wrote and pronounced with my mouth.
	May God so help me, and these Holy Gospels of God.

	In the year of the Lord 1569, on the twenty ninth day of April, in the oratory of St. Martin of the Parish of St. Peter in Cornaredo of Porta Nuova [New Gate, translator's note] of Milan.
	I, the priest John Scotti son of the late Sir George Scotti of the diocese of Brescia, having lived for more than a decade in the Congregation of Somasca, I make vow, commit myself and promise to God Almighty, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to the Blessed Father Augustine, and to you, greatly Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Monsignor Caesar Gambara most worthy Bishop of Tortona, specially elected for this [purpose]

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by the clerics and lay men of the same Congregation of Somasca in force of the Apostolic Brief, obedience, chastity, and poverty under the rule of the above mentioned Father Saint Augustine as per my strength, with the help and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Holy Mother and of all the heavenly court, and this in accordance with the Constitutions, drafted or to be drafted by the above mentioned Congregation in force of the apostolic authority vested upon it. May God so help me, and these Holy Gospels of God.
	I, Priest John Scotti, undersigned in my own hand and pronounced with [my] mouth as above.

	In the year of the Lord 1569, on the twenty ninth day of April, in the oratory of St. Martin of the Parish of St. Peter in Cornaredo of Porta Nuova [New Gate, translator's note] of Milan.
	I, the priest Bernardino Castellani son of the late Sir Obertino Castellani of the diocese of Brescia, having lived for more than a decade in the Congregation of the reverend priests [that is] called of Somasca, I make vow, commit myself and promise to God Almighty, to the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, to the Blessed Father Augustine, and to you, greatly Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Monsignor Caesar Gambara most worthy Bishop of Tortona,

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specially elected for this [purpose] by the clerics and lay men of the above mentioned Congregation in force of the Apostolic Brief, obedience, chastity, and poverty, that is of living in common under the rule of the above mentioned Father Saint Augustine, as per my strength, with the help and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Holy Mother, and of all the heavenly court, and this in accordance with the Constitutions, canonically drafted or to be drafted by the above mentioned Congregation in force of the apostolic authority vested upon it. May God so help me, and these Holy Gospels of God. In witness whereof I mandated that these things be written and undersigned [them] in my own hand.
	I, Priest Bernardino Castellani, confirm what is written above, and pronounced [it] with my own mouth.

	In the year of the Lord 1569, on the twenty ninth day of April, in the oratory of St. Martin of the Parish of St. Peter in Cornaredo of Porta Nuova [New Gate, translator's note] of Milan.
	I, the priest Rinaldus Piacentini son of Sir Anthony of the diocese of Verona, having lived for more than a decade in the Congregation of Somasca, I make vow, commit myself and promise to God Almighty, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to the Blessed Father Augustine, and to you,

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greatly Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Monsignor Caesar Gambara most worthy Bishop of Tortona, specially elected for this [purpose] by the clerics and lay men of the same Congregation of Somasca, in force of the Apostolic Brief, obedience, chastity, and poverty under the rule of the above mentioned Father Saint Augustine, as per my strength, with the help and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Holy Mother, and of all the heavenly court, and this in accordance with the Constitutions, drafted or to be drafted by the above mentioned Congregation in force of the apostolic authority vested upon it. May God so help me, and these Holy Gospels of God. And in witness whereof I wrote in my own hand.
	I, Priest Rinaldus, who undersigned and pronounced the above.

	Having been requested about the above mentioned matters, I drafted a public deed of the above mentioned kind, that is:

	Acted as above, in the presence of the venerable Sirs Priest John Augustine Luna, son of the late Sir Michael, inhabitant of the city of Tortona; Sir Priest Francis Minotti, son of the late Sir James, inhabitant of the city of Ferrara, both of them in the Congregation of the orphans of the above mentioned cities, both of them [well] known; John Mary

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Bottonari, son of Sir Bartholomew p. c., of the parish of St. Protasius at the monks, of Milan, all suitable and in a special way called and requested for the above mentioned matters.

	L. S. In witness thereof I myself, Michael Sacchi, notary, undersigned.