Saint Gianna Beretta Molla
Feast day: April 28
Saint Gianna, an Italian doctor and mother, who chose to save the life of the baby in her womb (28/04)
Who is she?
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla (1922–1962) was a pediatrician, a wife and the mother of four children. She lived in Lombardy, in northern Italy. She is a saint very close to us: she went to school, went to work, got married, went skiing and mountain climbing, but did everything out of love for God.
Life story
Gianna was born on 4 October 1922 in Magenta, into a large Catholic family. From childhood, she was used to praying and going to Mass with her parents. When she grew up, she studied medicine, became a doctor for children, and opened a clinic in a village near her home. She cared devotedly for the sick, especially mothers, children, the elderly and the poor. She was also very active in Catholic Action, helping young people live their faith.
In 1955, she married Pietro Molla. They had three children. In 1961, when she was two months pregnant with her fourth child, the doctors found a tumor in her uterus (where the baby grows). She went ahead with the surgery to treat it, but asked the doctors to remove only the tumor and keep the baby, even though that would be more dangerous for her later. The doctors tried to save both mother and child. She told her family: if they had to choose between her and the baby, they should choose the baby.
On 21 April 1962, little Gianna Emanuela was born healthy. But the mother developed a serious infection after the birth. Seven days later, on 28 April 1962, she died, at only 39. According to her family, her last words were to tell Jesus that she loved him.
Why is she a saint?
Saint Gianna lived her vocation as a lay person to the full: doing her work well, loving her husband and children, serving the sick, and always putting God first. Her last gift was her life, given for her child. In 1994, Pope John Paul II beatified her, and on 16 May 2004 he declared her a saint. That day, her husband and her daughter Gianna Emanuela, by then a doctor herself, were present in Saint Peter’s Square.
A lesson for you
- Jesus says: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15:13). Thank your parents for all the quiet sacrifices they make for you.
- Study hard so you can help others later on, just as Gianna studied to become a doctor.
- Pray for babies not yet born and for mothers who are expecting.
Identifying marks
- A baby wrapped in white in her arms: her youngest daughter, Gianna Emanuela, whom she chose to protect; only the mother, the saint of this card, has a halo.
- A smiling face, short curly hair: she was cheerful and loved life, as in the family photos.
- A blue dress and a cream cardigan in the style of the 1950s: she was a woman of our times, living in the world like any other mother.
- An Italian town with a bell tower behind her: a reminder of her hometown, Magenta, near Milan.
- A doctor’s stethoscope (*): she was a pediatrician, caring for children and the poor.
(*) Only in some pictures and statues.
The text on this page is the saint card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.
Collect this card and read more about the saints in the app