CORTENOVIS, GHERARDO

CORTENOVIS, GHERARDO. - Barnabite missionary, apostolic vicar of Ava and Pegu, b. at Bergamo on 28 Oct. 1729. Having become a Barnabite in 1748, he first taught philosophy at Arpino, where he had as a pupil Bl. F. M. Bianchi (v.), and then navigation at Finale and theology at Asti and Thonon (Savoy). In 1764, together with the Fathers M. Carpani (v.), A. Miconi, and F. Re, he set out for the Barnabite mission in Burma. He worked first at Monlà, where he had a seminary built, soon destroyed by the bonzes, and from 1774 at Rangoon. After the death (1776) of Msgr. Percoto (v.), he succeeded him in directing the mission; but, owing to malarial fevers, on his return from Mylapore, where he had been consecrated bishop, and while preparing to evangelize the Nicobar archipelago, he d. on a small island of that archipelago on 5 May 1780.