Saint Francis Caracciolo was born from a noble family on October 13, 1563 in Villa Santa Maria, central Italy. Miraculously healed from a serious illness, he dedicated himself to the service of God and his people. He cultivated a great spirit of prayer. Notably, adoration before the Blessed Sacrament was his life; to it he dedicated as much time as possible. He prepared for and celebrated Mass with an edifying spirit of faith and devotion. Along with Venerable Augustine Adorno of Genoa and Fabrizio Caracciolo of Naples, he founded a new religious order, the Clerics Regular Minor, to assist the needs of the Church after the Council of Trent. Besides the goal and objectives common to other religious Orders and the three vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, he wanted to add a fourth vow: not to aspire to ecclesiastical honors. His life was like a long series of outstanding episodes which are reducible to the intervention of divine grace and an authentic Christian charity for which he was called Father of the Poor, Preacher of the love of God, and the Hunter of Souls. He reached the summit of holiness when he was only 44 years old and he rendered his soul to God on June 4, 1608, on the eve of Corpus Christi. He was canonized by Pope Pius VII in 1807.
Venerable John Augustine Adorno was born to a noble family in 1551 in Genoa. Brought up in the ways of a young gentleman, he entered the arena of diplomacy and eventually left for the court of Spain in 1573. While visiting the Dominican Church in Valencia in 1573, Adorno met Saint Louis Bertrand who foretold that he would be the founder of a new religious Order. While living in Granada, he squandered his money on gambling, partying and other frivolous pastimes. He eventually returned to Genoa in 1579. Attending Lenten meditations with his mother in the church of Saint Siro in Genoa, Adorno heard the voice of God and his heart was moved to conversion. After consulting with God by means of fasts, prayers, and vigils, he felt called to found a new religious Order in the Church. He left for Naples and met Fabrizio Caracciolo and St. Francis Caracciolo. There, they began the framework for a new Order. He was a model of sanctity before his fellow religious. His love for God was manifested continually throughout his life. After an illness, he died peacefully on September 19, 1591.
Fabrizio (Augostino) Caracciolo was born in 1555 in Naples. As a young man he revealed himself as being readily disposed to learning as well as piety. He completed his studies by obtaining a degree in Law, and he decided at that young age to pursue an Ecclesiastical career. He became successful in his career and at that time he had titles and Ecclesial benefits of the Abbey in Marsico Vetere in Naples. He met Agostino Adorno and St Francis Caracciolo in 1587 in Naples and they began the founding of a new Religious Institute in the Church. It was him who provided the needs of the newly found Religious Order in its beginnings by his income as the Abbot of St. Mary Major Church in Naples. After renouncing all his personal and family possessions, he made his Solemn Profession on the feast of St Bartholomew the Apostle, on August 25, 1596. It was on this occasion that he changed his name to Agostino in memory and in appreciation of his Co-Founder of the Institute. He died as a simple and humble religious on May 25, 1615 at age 60.