Saint Gianna Beretta Molla

Saint Gianna Beretta Molla is the patron of Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation. She was selected early in the organization's history by Father Thomas Rosica, CSB, who saw in Saint Gianna a powerful role model for the Church and the world today. She clearly represents the Gospel of Life in an extraordinary way. At the time of her beatification in 1994, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, then Archbishop of Milan described her as a “woman, doctor and lover of life.” Gianna Molla was canonized on May 16, 2004 by Pope John-Paul II - the last person to be canonized by Blessed John Paul II, who is the great inspiration in the founding of Salt and Light in Canada.

Born the tenth of thirteen children, four of whom would not make it to adulthood, Gianna saw life as a marvelous gift. She nurtured a strong faith and conviction in the necessity and effectiveness of prayer. She later earned degrees in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Pavia in 1949 and would go on to open a medical clinic in Mesero, Italy in 1950. She specialized in Pediatrics at the University of Milan in 1952 and eventually would give special attention to mothers, babies, the elderly and poor.

Like many saints, Gianna's story entails tragedy and heroic sacrifice. She provides to us a strong example of the values and virtues of Christ and his ultimate sacrifice for us. Against the advice of doctors, Gianna sacrificed her life to save her child's, fully aware that she could die if she gave birth to her baby. A few days before the baby was due, she said "If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child - I insist on it. Save him".

Love is a Choice
Salt and Light Documentary on Saint Gianna Beretta

The official documentary of the life of St. Gianna Beretta Molla with excerpts of the Canonization ceremony on May 16, 2004. Includes interviews with Pietro Molla and their children. Recommended for families, schools, university chaplaincies, marriage preparation, and lay ministry programs.

Own it today!

STATUE

For our 15th anniversary Salt + Light Media, we have commissioned this beautiful, solid bronze statue of our patron saint, Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962). A limited number of the statues are available through our headquarters in Toronto for $500.00 (CAD) each. This is the only statue of St. Gianna that exists.

ICON

In 2010, Father Rosica commissioned an icon of St. Gianna to be written by Mr. Ted Harasti, a sacred artist (sculptor, muralist, and iconographer) based in Canada. The icon (pictured here to the right) was blessed and installed in the Holy Cross Chapel of our Salt and Light Broadcast Centre for the Feast of All Saints Day 2011. It is the first icon of St. Gianna and has the Molla family approval. The icon also features Gianna’s husband, Pietro, who died in 2010. Gianna is portrayed holding her daughter, Gianna Emauneula. Ted's original work is in the Greek Byzantine style.

For more information or to inquire on purchasing official replications and/or prints please contact:

Ted Harasti
50 Cluett Dr. Ajax, ON.
L1S 7C3 Canada

Telephone: (905) 427-1775
[email protected]
holyrosaryshrine.org

The Shrine of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla in Winnipeg

Archdiocese of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Dedicated on May 10, 2015

The first Canadian Shrine in honour of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla was blessed and inaugurated in St. Gianna's Roman Catholic Church in Winnipeg, Canada on May 10, 2015. The event was celebrated in the context of evening prayer by Archbishop Richard Gagnon, Archbishop of Winnipeg, and included the unveiling of a bronze statue of Saint Gianna by artist John Collier. The parish community was also blessed to have Saint Gianna’s daughter, Gianna Emanuela in attendance, who also addressed the assembly.

Related Videos



Feast day of St. Gianna Beretta Molla

Nationally Televised Daily Mass
Memorial of St. Gianna Beretta Molla

April 28, 2018

Witness Interview:
Pierluigi and Lisi Molla

Pierluigi Molla, a successful Italian businessman, and his wife Lisi, can speak about their mother and mother-in-law as a saint. And they mean it! As the eldest son of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, the last woman canonized by St. John Paul II in 2004, ... read more

World Meeting of Families 2015
Mother of a family and Patron of WMF 2015

On April 24, 1994, Pope John Paul II beatified Gianna Beretta Molla, mother of a family, in St. Peter's Square in Rome. Ten years later, on May 16, 2004, she was proclaimed a saint of the Church. Her husband and children were present at both ceremonies. In this moving video, find out why this contemporary, Italian woman is patron saint of mothers, physicians, unborn children and the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

St. Gianna Beretta Molla: Lover of Life

A true saint of our times, Gianna Molla was a mother and doctor who loved the arts, culture and fashion. When complications arose during her fourth pregnancy, she sacrificed her own life for the life of the child. Today she is celebrated as a model of radical sacrifice, virtue and joy.

Connect 5
Pierluigi Molla, on his mother, St. Gianna

Pierluigi Molla, son of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, shares memories of his mother and the lessons Catholics can learn from her life.

Witess Interview:
Laura Molla and Giuseppe Pannuti

Fr. Thomas Rosica talks to Laura Molla, the daughter of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, and her husband Giuseppe Pannuti .Laura and Giuseppe share about St. Gianna's life, the need to defend life, and what it's like to have a saint in the family...read more



Blogs and Articles



Deacon-Structing WYD: Part 5 | Saints
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This blog post is part of a 6-part series on World Youth Day. Read them all: Deacon-structing WYD: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 Last time we saw how WYD is an opportunity to “proclaim it from the rooftops.” Today, we have some models that we can follow when ...read more
Pierluigi Molla, son of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, shares memories of his mother and the lessons Catholics can learn from her life. How are you going to spend the next five minutes of your time?  You could browse social media or check your email, but how about meeting a fascinating person and learni ...read more
CUA students enjoy group discussion while they reflect on the lives of the saints. Earlier this year, I was in Washington D.C. to lead the Women’s Lenten Retreat for CUA’s Campus Ministry. The girls were amazing, I loved spending time with them. Their faith and their joy was inspiring. They wer ...read more
Deacon-structing Holiness
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The problem with holiness is that we don’t think it’s for us. We believe that we are made for Heaven. We believe that God wants us to go to Heaven, but how many of us would say that we belong in Heaven? How many of us would say that we are going to Heaven? Sure, ...read more
This past weekend, I had the great honour to speak at the Inaugural Women’s Conference for the Archdiocese of Vancouver. It was a soulful and joyful experience to be gathered together with women of faith from all walks of life, sharing and learning together. After the talk, several women inqui ...read more
TWO DAUGHTERS, SIX SAINTS, AND THREE POPES
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By Mary Rose Bacani Valenti We were riding on the subway with a friend of ours a few years ago.  He started to tell the story of Chiara Luce, an Italian teenager who was then recently beatified.  When he mentioned her name, Richard and I immediately looked at each other.  I knew we were both ...read more
On this season premiere of Nothing More Beautiful, Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton begins with a catechesis as he reflects on evangelizing the family. Witness speaker, Pierluigi Molla, talks about growing up with his mother, St. Gianna Beretta Molla (who beautifully enough, is Salt + LightR ...read more
VII World Meeting of Families: Meeting the Molla’s
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Left to right: Marie Brunet, Pierluigi Molla, Andre Brunet after presentations in Varese, Italy during the VII World Meeting of Families. Varese, Italy – On our  second full day of the VII World Meeting of Families, we spent the afternoon outside of Milan, in the town of Varese. To our great ...read more
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