Walking with the Saints Podcast | Feast of St. Gerard Majella, Patron Saint of all Mothers | October 16
Why a young lay brother is principally proclaimed patron of mothers, expectant mothers and childbirth is a real puzzle. Why not a female saint, but the life story of our saint today, St. Gerard Majella will tell us why. Gerard, the youngest son of five children, was born in Muro, southern Italy on April 6, 1726. Being frail, he was immediately taken to the church for Baptism after his birth. He grew up to be a very prayerful boy and even when he was just five, he would pray daily in a small chapel near his home. Often, he would bring home a loaf of bread. Asked where the bread came from, he would say that “a most beautiful boy” gave it to him. When his sister secretly followed him to the chapel one day, she saw him praying before the statue of Mary holding the Child Jesus. After a short while, Jesus went down and played with Gerard, then gave him a loaf of bread and sent him home.
When Gerard was twelve years old his father, who was a tailor, died and to help the family, his mother sent him to his uncle so as to teach him the work of his father. Though the foreman was abusive, Gerard kept silent but when his uncle knew about it he was told to resign. Then, he became a houseboy in the Bishop’s house. When the Bishop died, Gerard tried to work on his own and the money he earned he gave half to his mother, gave some to the poor and offered Masses for the souls in Purgatory. He entered the Capuchin Order two times but he did not
persevere due to his poor health. In 1749, he joined the Redemptorists and after three years he became a lay brother. He professed the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and stayed close with the poor. He worked in the community as a gardener, sacristan, infirmarian, tailor, porter, cook, carpenter and foreman on a building construction. He was often called to minister to the sick. And he graciously accepted any call by saying he was available to “do the will of God.” His charity, service,
obedience, prayerful life, and penances made him a perfect model for lay brothers. At 27, he was falsely accused by a girl, saying he was the father of the child she was carrying. The superior general, St. Alphonsus, reprimanded him, denied him the privilege of receiving Holy Communion and prohibited him from having contact with outsiders. Gerard bore with patience this calumny and doubled his penances and prayer. But when the girl got seriously ill and no remedy was available to heal her, she retracted and wrote St. Alphonsus that she had lied. Although he was vindicated, Gerard did not show any self-complacency. He just thanked God for saving him from such a terrible trial. The life of Gerard was replete with miraculous events. He often fell into ecstasy while in prayer. He had also the gift of levitation and bi-location. His apostolate for mothers began when the handkerchief he left in a certain house was afterwards instrumental in curing a woman giving birth. Gerard was always frail in health. In 1755, he had a strong hemorrhage but his superior commanded him to get up. He got up and was
well for a month, yet he knew he was dying. He died in the morning of October 15, 1755 at 29 years old. He was beatified on January 29,1895 by Pope Leo XIII and was canonized on December 11, 1904 by Pope Pius X. He was proclaimed patron of mothers, expectant mothers, child birth, falsely accused, unborn children.
Virtue: piety, humility, patience, obedience, charity, integrity, forgiveness and contentment
Prayer: “St. Gerard, please pray for the conversion of those who calumniate others.”
