Gerard Majella

About Gerard Majella

Gerard Majella was born at Muro Lucano on April 6, 1726. His father died while Gerard was young, and he worked as a tailor to help provide for his family. The Redemptorists' account describes a young man who wanted religious life but first had to work and care for others. In 1749 he joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and, after formation, professed vows as a lay brother in 1752. He was not ordained a priest.

Within the congregation, Gerard attended to practical needs and maintained contact with people facing poverty. The Redemptorist account emphasizes his patience during illness, concern for people with little schooling or money, and letters of spiritual direction. These are a better basis for a profile than the many miracle stories later attached to his name. They show the kind of work and relationships remembered by the community that knew his vocation.

Gerard died at Materdomini on October 16, 1755. John Paul II recalled that death anniversary in a letter to the Redemptorists during a jubilee year marking the centenary of Gerard's canonization. The congregation observes his memorial on October 16 and today invokes him as a patron of mothers, especially during pregnancy. This patronage describes living devotion; it is not evidence that he performed a medical role.