Saint Gianna Beretta Molla

Gianna Beretta Molla (4 October 1922 – 28 April 1962) was an Italian Catholic paediatrician. Although aware of possible fatal consequences, Molla refused both an abortion and a hysterectomy during her pregnancy with her fourth child in order to preserve the child's life. Molla's medical career followed the teachings of the Catholic Church; she believed in following her conscience while coming to the aid of others who required assistance. Molla also dedicated herself to charitable work amongst the elderly and was involved in Catholic Action; she also aided the Saint Vincent de Paul group in their outreach to the poor and less fortunate. Molla's beatification was celebrated in 1994 and she was canonized as a saint a decade later in mid-2004 in Saint Peter's Square. Gianna Beretta was born in Magenta on 4 October 1922, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, as the tenth of 13 children (only eight survived into adulthood) to Maria de Micheli (c. 1887 - 1 May 1942) and Alberto Beretta (d. 1 September 1942), both members of the Third Order of Saint Francis. One of her siblings was the Servant of God Enrico Beretta (28 August 1916 – 10 August 2001). Beretta's uncle was Monsignor Giuseppe Beretta and one relative was Father Giovanni Battista Beretta. Her other siblings were Giuseppe (a priest), Virginia, and Amalia (1910 – 22 January 1937). Her baptism was celebrated at the Basilica di San Martino on 11 October. When she was three, the Berettas relocated to Bergamo, where she grew up. She made her First Communion on 4 April 1928 and her Confirmation in the Bergamo Cathedral on 9 June 1930 from Monsignor Luigi Maria Marelli. The Berettas moved to Genoa following her sister Amalia's death in 1937 and sought residence in the Quinto al Mare neighbourhood, where she attended school.