Tuesday, June 24

Featured Saint of the Day: The Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Guest: Joseph Cunningham, Founder of the Society of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla

Joe talked about the life of St. Gianna and the miracles attributed to her after her death in 1962. St. Gianna lived a holy life as a mother, wife and doctor. After giving birth to three children and suffering two miscarriages she was diagnosed with a tumor on her uterus during the second month of the pregnancy of her fourth child. Rather than saving her own life, she willingly expressed before entering the hospital to give birth to her child, "If you must choose between me and the child, do not hesitate; choose the child." She gave birth to her daughter, Gianna Emmanuela on April 21, 1962. One week later on April 28, Gianna Beretta Molla passed away at her home from septic peritonitis.

Many miracles have since been attributed to her intercession. Joe and the Society of Saint Gianna travel all over the country with a pair of St. Gianna's gloves for veneration. If you would like to contact Joe to ask him to bring St. Gianna's gloves to your parish for veneration go to http://www.saintgianna.org/. They also have priests' vestments that have a piece of St. Gianna's wedding dress sewn into it that your priest may wear to celebrate the Mass at the veneration. You may also request holy cards of St. Gianna to pass around by contacting Joe at the website.

Below is a photo of Joe and Pietro (Peter) Molla, the husband of St. Gianna. The photo was taken by Dr. Gianna Emmanuela Molla - the daughter for whom St. Gianna offered her life!