St. Gerard Majella, patron of mothers and fathers.

Born in Muro, Italy on April 6, 1726, Gerard, like his father, was a tailor. He used his trade to support his mother and sisters after his father's death. His first love was a life of service in the Church, but he was refused entrance by different religious orders due to his frail health. Attracted to the preaching of the newly-founded Redemptorist order, Gerard joined their band during a mission they preached at his parish. Exceeding their minimal expectations of him, Gerard became a lay brother whose comfort of the poor and sick led to his being sought after by many villages. Gerard was especially invited to the town where the plague caused the deaths of many. his presence itself brought the comfort they sought.
Gerard was wrongly accused by a jealous teenager of an indiscretion with the daughter of a family he was visiting. He trusted completely in God's providence until his eventual vindication. He prayed for his accuser, and indeed was proved innocent when the fabricated story was recanted.
St. Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists and Gerard's superior, asked him why he was not stronger in his own defense. The younger saint's reply to his superior was that the very rule Alphonsus wrote encouraged such trust in Divine Providence. Gerard said it was his effort to obey God's will in all things, even this trial. A few months before his death, Gerard visited the Pirofalo family and accidentally dropped his handkerchief. One of the girls spotted the handkerchief moments after he left the house, and ran after Gerald to return it. "Keep it," he said to her. "You may need it some day."
Years later, when the woman was on the verge of dying in childbirth, she remembered the words of Gerard. She asked for the handkerchief and layed it on her stomach. Almost immediately, the pain disappeared and she gave birth to a healthy child.
On his deathbed, Gerard directed that the following note be tacked to his door: "Here God's will is done, just as God wills, for as long as God wills."
This child of God entered into the kingdom of heaven on October 15, 1755.

Prayer for Expectant Families
Almighty and everlasting God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, you prepared the body and soul of the Virgin Mary to be a worthy dwelling place of your Divine Son. You sanctified St. John the Baptist while still in his mother's womb. Listen now to our prayer. Through the intercession of St. Gerard, watch over our child and us; protect us at the time of delivery. May our child receive the saving graces of baptism, lead a Christian life, and, together with all members of our family, attain everlasting life.

Prayer for Motherhood
Good Saint Gerard, powerful intercessor before the throne of God, wonder-worker of our day, I call upon you and seek your aid. You know that our marriage has not yet been blessed with a child and how much we desire this gift. Please present our fervent pleas to the Creator of Life, from whom all parenthood proceeds; and beseech him to bless us with a child whom we may raise as His child and heir of heaven.
Amen.

From St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church, from whom I received a lovely handkerchief imprinted with an image of St. Gerard holding a baby, and the words, "Here God's will is done, as God wills, for as long as God wills" comes this testimony:

"My children's bus driver shared some exciting news. In the spring, she was going to become a grandmother for the first time!
The blessed event was only a couple of weeks away when she told me that the results of an ultrasound showed the baby in the breech position. My friend worried about her daughter and grandchild.
She said, "I have to keep praying to St. Jude."
"That's fine," I said, "but pray to St. Gerard Majella."
"Who?" she asked.
She was unfamiliar with this miracle worker.
I stopped by the church and got a St. Gerard handkerchief for her.
I gave it to her, along with a leaflet explaining everything.
That night, the mom-to-be placed the handkerchief on her belly, and with her husband, prayed to St. Gerard. In the morning, when they went to the hospital, much to everyone's surprise, the baby was repositioned! Several days later their son was born healthy!
PS
In the fall of that same year, I gave birth to my latest child ----- on the feast day of St. Gerard Majella!


I also received a lovely handwritten Mother Teresa card, which read "Dear Catherine - our prayers are with you! May God bless you. Please let us know the 'good news'!"
What a wonderful parish!
I encourage all expectant parents (Pawlaks!) and all who desire a child to write to the parish and ask for a handkerchief and information.
From their parish website - more miracles!

"A family distraught over medical advice to abort their child due to probability of severe birth defects drove all the way to our parish from Amityville. The prayer to St. Gerard as the mother held his relic to her stomach visibly calmed her down. They returned a year later to give thanks to God at Mass - for three healthy triplets!"

"On Sunday at Mass a man collapsed. He was immediately attended to by two parishioners - a nurse and an emergency room doctor. He had no pulse and no breathing for five minutes. I asked the parishioners to pray while I went to anoint him. While 400 parishioners prayed in absolute silence, the doctor said to the nurse, "His pulse is back!" After the Anointing of the Sick, he coughed and began breathing.
Since returning from the hospital, he has been fine, with no further problems."

Here is how you can contact them for a handkerchief. Visit this page of their website:

http://www.stgmajella.org/all/sgmbio.html

Or call them at 631-473-2900

Good Saint Gerard Majella, worker of miracles, pray for us!