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 Saint Gerard Majella Third Centenary of Birth Scott 1927 (2026) October 16 is the memorial for Saint Gerard Majella. The Vatican Postal and Philately Service released a stamp honoring this young saint earlier this year to commemorate the third centenary of his birth. Gerard Majella (spelled Maiella in Italian) was born on April 6, 1726, in Muro Lucano, in the Kingdom of Naples, south of Rome. From an early age, “Gerardo” exhibited a strong spiritual nature. As a child, he began an apprenticeship with a local tailor. Four years later, he took a job as a servant working for a local bishop. After the bishop's death, he returned to his work at his craft but then decided to consecrate himself to a spiritual life. He twice tried to join the Capuchin Order but was prevented due to poor health. In 1749, he entered the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists, a relatively new order founded by Saint Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori in 1732 in Scala, Italy (a town near Geraldo’s hometown). Gerardo’s religious life has been characterized by a spirit of obedience, charity, and penance. Gerard gained a reputation for sanctity and an extraordinary dedication to the poor. In addition, his intense mystical life included numerous miraculous events. Gerald Majella died at the young age of 29 on October 16, 1755, in Materdomini, Italy, one year after being assigned to the monastery there. He is interred in this small town about 100 kilometers east of Naples, and the Sanctuary of San Gerardo Maiella has become a pilgrimage site for the saint. Saint Gerard Majella was beatified on January 29, 1893, by Pope Leo XIII, and canonized on December 11,1904, by Pope Pius X. Over time, devotion to the saint has spread, particularly in Southern Italy. He is especially venerated as the protector of pregnant women and children.  Prayer Card to Saint Gerard Majella From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain Artistic depictions of Saint Gerard often show him in his Order’s habit and with a skull, as shown in the prayer card above. The stamp shown at the top of the page, issued on May 8, 2026, is described as portraying the saint “in an ecstatic pose with a series of attributes that recall his vocation to holiness, lived in purity and profound adherence to the sufferings of Christ”. The stamp is inspired by the work of the Roman painter Giovanni Battista Gagliardi (1838 – 1924). The release from the Vatican Postal and Philately Service states that the stamp “renews its commitment to promoting great testimonies of holiness that continue to speak to the hearts of today's men and women”. REFERENCES |
