of Majella on display for
veneration in
Lima, Ohio. Majella was
beatified in
Rome on 29 January 1893 by
Pope Leo XIII. He was
canonized less than twelve years later on 11 December 1904 by
Pope Pius X. The
feast day of Saint Gerard Majella is October 16. In 1977, St. Gerard's Chapel in
St. Lucy's Church (
Newark, New Jersey) was dedicated as a national shrine. Each year during the Feast days, which include October 16, there are traditional lights, music, food stands, and a street procession. People come from all over to celebrate. Devotees also visit the shrine throughout the year to petition the help of St. Gerard. The
St. Gerard Majella Annual Novena takes place every year at St. Joseph's Church in
Dundalk, Ireland. This annual nine-day novena is the biggest festival of faith in
Ireland. St. Joseph's sponsors the St. Gerard's Family League, an association of Christians united in prayer for their own and other families, to preserve Christian values in their home and family lives. The
Sanctuary of San Gerardo Maiella is a basilica in
Materdomini, Italy dedicated to him.
Hagiography Some of Majella's reported miracles include restoring life to a boy who had fallen from a high cliff, blessing the scant supply of wheat belonging to a poor family and making it last until the next harvest, and several times multiplying the bread that he was distributing to the poor. One day, he walked across the water to lead a boatload of fishermen through stormy waves to the safety of the shore. He was reputed to have had
bilocation and the ability to read souls.
Patron of mothers One alleged miracle in particular explains how Majella subsequently became known as the special patron of mothers. A few months before his death, he visited the Pirofalo family and accidentally dropped his handkerchief. One of the Pirofalo girls spotted the handkerchief moments after he had left the house, and she ran after Gerard to return it, but he told her to keep it in case she might need it someday. Years later, when the girl, now a married woman, was on the verge of dying in childbirth, she remembered the earlier words. She asked for the handkerchief to be brought to her. Almost immediately, the pain disappeared and she gave birth to a healthy child. Word of the apparent miracle spread quickly. During the process for his beatification, one witness testified that he was known as "il santo dei felice parti," the saint of happy childbirths. His devotion has become very popular in North America, both in the United States and Canada. ==Namesakes==