St. Gianna Beretta Molla, who died in 1962, was a wife and mother, a physician, and an advocate of lay Catholic action in Italy. She gave her life in order to save her unborn child, who today is Dr. Gianna Emanuela, a strong voice in the pro-life movement. St. Gianna’s Feast Day is April 28.
Lord God,
Through your Son Jesus Christ
You have destroyed death
And have made us the People of Life.
We thank you for the example of the saints
Whose lives reflect your own holiness
And the profound dignity of human life.
Thank you in particular for the example
of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla.
She is truly a saint for our times.
Thank you for her example of being a loving wife,
A devoted mother, a caring physician, and a
woman of Catholic action.
Thank you for the crowning act of her life,
By which she sacrificed her life for that of her child.
May her example inspire all of us
To lay down our lives for one another,
Especially for our unborn brothers and sisters,
And hence to both discover and proclaim
The very meaning of love.
We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Gianna Molla, pray for us!
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life