St. Gerard Rosary Chaplet

Memorial

    * 16 October

Profile

    Son of a tailor who died when the boy was 12, leaving the family in poverty. Gerard tried to join the Capuchins, but his health prevented it He was accepted as a Redemptorist lay brother serving his congregation as sacristan, gardener, porter, infirmarian, and tailor. Miracle worker.

    When falsely accused by a pregnant woman of being the father of her child, he retreated to silence; she later recanted and cleared him, and thus began his association as patron of all aspects of pregnancy. Reputed to bilocate and read consciences. His last will consisted of the following small note on the door of his cell: “Here the will of God is done, as God wills, and as long as God wills.”

Born

    * 23 April 1725 at Muro, Italy

Died

    * 16 October 1755 at Caposele, Italy of tuberculosis

Beatified

    * 29 January 1893 by Pope Leo XIII

Canonized

    * 11 December 1904 by Pope Saint Pius X

Patronage

    * childbirth
    * children
    * expectant mothers
    * falsely accused people
    * good confessions
    * lay brothers
    * motherhood
    * mothers
    * Muro, Italy
    * pregnant women
    * pro-life movement
    * unborn children