the worship of God and the love of neighbor. When Sauli returned to the Barnabite residence after performing this charge, he was received as a postulant. At first Sauli was assigned to help the sacristans. On the feast of the Assumption of Mary, August 15, 1551, Sauli received the religious habit and started his three years of novitiate. At a subsequent Chapter Sauli was criticized for ineptitude in his work in the sacristy, his bourgeois attitude, his lukewarmness, and many other things. The minutes were written by a Father Raimondi, who may have disliked Sauli's somewhat open and easy going nature. In October 1552, he took part in the many sessions during which the first Constitutions of the Order were discussed and finally approved. During the second year of novitiate, Alexander was allowed to follow regular theological studies at the Franciscan Friary of St. Mary of Peace, not far from St. Barnabas. He professed his vows on September 29, 1554. He continued his formation program until April 26, 1556, when the Fathers felt he was mature enough to be removed from the discipline of the novitiate, and was appointed the community librarian. On December 22, 1554, he received the subdiaconate and ordination to the diaconate on June 8, 1555. Due to his young age he had to wait for a special dispensation for the priestly ordination, which took place on March 21, 1556, when he was 22. First ministry in Pavia When the Grand Duke Gian Galeazzo Sforza became seriously ill, his mother, Bona of Savoy, and his wife, Isabella of Naples, made a vow that if he should get well, they would build a church in Pavia in honor of the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary painted on a wall of the Canepanova palace. The duke recovered, and the church, designed by Bramante was built. The Barnabites were approached to staffed it. This would be the first house of the Order after the establishment of the Motherhouse of St. Barnabas in 1547. Since Sauli was very familiar with the city and the university, he was assigned there as a preacher, and was soon joined by his two Masters, Besozzi and Omodei. Sauli dedicated himself to pastoral work and encouraged frequent communion and the Forty Hours devotion, He founded schools for religious instructions, offered the people lectures on the Letters of St. Paul, and organized groups at the university.