St. Gianna Beretta Molla
St. Gianna Beretta Molla
Patron mothers, physicians, preborn children
Died: 1962
Beatified By: Pope John Paul II
Gianna Francesca Beretta was born in Magenta in Italy. She was the tenth of thirteen children in her family, only nine of whom survived to adulthood. When she was three, her family moved to Bergamo, and she grew up in the Lombardy region of Italy.
In 1942, Gianna began her study of medicine in Milan. Outside of her schooling, she was active in Azione Cattolica. She received a medical diploma in 1949, and opened an office in Mesero, near her hometown of Magenta, where she specialized in pediatrics.
Gianna hoped to join her brother, a missionary priest in Brazil, where she intended to offer her medical expertise in gynecology to poor women. However, her chronic ill health made this impractical, and she continued her practice in Italy.
In December 1954, Gianna met Pietro Molla, an engineer who worked in her office, ten years older than she. They were officially engaged the following April, and they married in September 1955.
The couple had Pierluigi, born in 1956, Maria Zita, in 1957 and Laura, was born in 1959. Gianna suffered two miscarriages after this.
In 1961, Gianna was once again expecting. During the second month, Gianna developed a fibroma on her uterus. After examination, the doctors gave her three choices: an abortion, which would save her life and allow her to continue to have children; a complete hysterectomy, which would preserve her life, but take the unborn child's life, and prevent further pregnancy; or removal of only the fibroma, with the potential of further complications. Roman Catholic teaching would have allowed her to obtain a hysterectomy, but would forbid an abortion. Wanting to preserve her child's life, she opted for the removal of the fibroma.
After the operation, complications continued throughout her pregnancy. Gianna was quite clear about her wishes, expressing to her family, "This time it will be a difficult delivery, and they may have to save one or the other -- I want them to save my baby."
On April 21, 1962, Good Friday of that year, Gianna went to the hospital, where her fourth child, Gianna Emanuela, was successfully delivered via Caesarean section. However, Gianna continued to have severe pain, and died of septic peritonitis 7 days after the birth.
Gianna was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 24, 1994, and officially canonized as a saint on May 16, 2004. Gianna's husband Pietro and their last child, Gianna, were present at the canonization ceremony.
The miracle recognized by the Roman Catholic Church to canonize Gianna Molla involved a mother, Elizabeth Comparini, who was 16 weeks pregnant in 2003 and sustained a tear in her placenta that drained her womb of all amniotic fluid. Because a normal term of pregnancy is 40 weeks, Comparini was told by her doctors the baby's chance of survival was "nil."
Through praying to Gianna Molla and asking for her intercession, Comparini delivered by Caesarean a healthy baby despite the lack of amniotic fluid for the remainder of her pregnancy.
In his homily at her canonization Mass, Pope John Paul II called Gianna "a simple, but more than ever, significant messenger of divine love."
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Please I would like to receive a relic of Saint Giannabarettamolla Beretta Molla
I'm praying to her for a special intention
God bless
Anne
I am using you for a project!!! Your life was really hard!! Im just glad your a saint!
I am thinking about using you for a project of saints. Your my idol! THANK YOU
Gianna You are my IDOL!!!!!! You are one of my favorite saints EVER!!!! You had cancer and the doctors kept telling you to abort her but didn't listen you had your baby and then about a month later you died because of your cancer. But I will always look up to you St. Gianna! HOpe you can see this when your in heaven.
I came to this site because of Geanna, the abortion survivor. She says, she wasn't named after this saint, intentionally, oh, but by the grace of God, they are sisters in the same love of Christ. Thank you dear sweet Christ for radiating your own divine soul to us through the lives of these blessed souls.
When I went on vacation, I talked to a priest about how I am in Confirmation. he asked me if I had chosen a saint yet. I said no, and he told me about the story of Saint Gianna. I've concluded that he is somehow connected to her beacause he broke down in tears in the middle of the story. Ever since then Saint Gianna is my perminate choice for Confirmation.
After my grandson (age 11) was diagnosed with osteosacroma, bone cancer, going through surgery, infections, weight loss and lung surgery, On December 30, 2011, my family and I took him to Nativity of Our Lord Church, Warminister, Pa in which St. Gianna's glove was placed on his swollen leg and lungs.Two weeks prior they found 4 marks on his lungs, the doctors were not sure whether it was a fungus or cancer. He was unable to receive any more chemo since it affected his kidneys, he couldn't eat and may have to get a feeding tube inserted.. I told my grandson miracles sometimes don't happen right away. Two days after visiting Nativity church the swollen leg started to recede and on January 20, 2012 we meet with the physicians and the marks on his lungs were not cancer but fungus and with antibiotic will take care of the fungus. He has gained 1-1/2 lbs and now going to rehab to learn to walk. We thank St. Gianna for the miracle and hope he continues to get better each day and hoping cancer does not come back again. We thank St. Gianna for the miracle and allowing Our Lord and Blessed Mother for guidance.
I am also doing this saint for a project a t school. she inspires me to become a saint the way she did. She lived and died for her children, husband, abnd for Jesus. This website was very helpful in the making of my presentation. I LOVE ST. GIANNA MOLA!!!!!
I prayed to St.Ganna to protect me and to have a safe pregnancy and delivery. Today my dear son is already one year old. Thanks St.Ganna xx
May all pregnant woman pray to this great saint of our modern times of such evil and the holacaust of abortion. Please pray the rosary every day for our Mother Mary to intercede for us
My Granddaughter Kayleigh was told that the baby she is carring had a 1to15% of the baby being born with Spina Biffa. She her mom and myself all prayed to the Lord with the help of St Gianna that everthing would ok. The next day Kayleigh was to have special test, which all came out perfect.So THANK YOU dear LORD and ST. GIANNA.
What an amazing saint! She was so brave and makes me want to be more like her. :)
To answer Deacon Dan, Saint Gianna had two brothers who were priests. One, Father Alberto, a Franciscan, is now a Servant of God. He attended his sister's beatification on April 24, 1994 but died before her canonization on May 16th, 2004. Her other brother, Father Giuseppe attended both her beatification and canonization along with their sister, Mother Virginia, a Canossian nun and medical doctor. Saint Gianna, pray for us! by Joe Cunningham, President Emeritus, the Society of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, www.saintgianna.org. (By the way, Saint Gianna's husband Pietro died last Holy Saturday at home surrounded by his children.)
A simply beautiful story. I hope more young women will take courage from her story!
i am having saint gianna as my siant for conformation :)
There are many many books on St. Gianna Beretta Molla. Her husband, children, and family members were present at her canonization, including her daughter who's life was saved. She now serves the elderly, just as her mother did. St. Gianna's brother was the one who started the process of her beatification, as he told women whom he was ministering to in his missions to pray for her and many miracles occurred on account of this. I would suggest watching the movie 'Love is a Choice' about the life of St. Gianna, including real video footage from her wedding and other events, and her canonization and interview with her husband, son, and granddaughter :) also, there is a nice website:
http://www.saintgianna.org/
where you can also find photos and more info about her :)
St. Gianna - pray for us!!
What a great woman! I am grateful to her for such obedience to God's will and this account of her acceptance of the complications of pragancy, etc. remind us all of the BVM at the Annunciation. Please God, bless the world with more Giannas!
Are there books and photos of her and the family for sale/
Where is her baby now/ What is she doing?
This is the saint i am doing on my sain project for school. I chose this because i am completely against abortion and i honor St. Beretta Molla for that. I suggest to pray to her every day.
please include photo if possible
Are there any books on this saint?