15 Facts About Gerard Majella

Gerard Majella was an Italian lay brother of the Congregation of the Redeemer, better known as the Redemptorists, who is honored as a saint by the Catholic Church.

Gerard Majella's intercession is for children, unborn children, women in childbirth, mothers, expectant mothers, motherhood, the falsely accused, good confessions, lay brothers and Muro Lucano, Italy.

Gerard Majella was frail, and his parents had him baptized the day he was born.

Gerard Majella was the son of Domenico Maiella, a tailor who died when Gerard was twelve, leaving the family in poverty.

Gerard Majella tried to join the Capuchin Order twice, but his health prevented it.

At 27, Gerard Majella was controversially identified by a young pregnant woman as the father of her child.

Some of Gerard Majella's reported miracles include restoring life to a boy who had fallen from a high cliff, blessing the scant supply of wheat belonging to a poor family and making it last until the next harvest, and several times multiplying the bread that he was distributing to the poor.

Gerard Majella was reputed to have had bilocation and the ability to read souls.

One miracle in particular explains how Gerard Majella became known as the special patron of mothers.

Gerard Majella asked for the handkerchief to be brought to her.

Gerard Majella's devotion has become very popular in North America, both in the United States and Canada.

Gerard Majella was beatified in Rome on 29 January 1893 by Pope Leo XIII.

Gerard Majella was canonized less than twelve years later on 11 December 1904 by Pope Pius X The feast day of Saint Gerard Majella is October 16.

Nowadays the Saint Gerard Majella School is used by a charity organisation "Geraarke" which supports poor people with clothes and food packages.

Gerard Majella was featured on an Italian 45-eurocent postage stamp in May 2005.