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Saint Gianna Berretta Molla (1922–1962) was an Italian pediatrician, wife, and mother who is famous for heroically choosing her unborn child’s life over her own.
Born Gianna Berretta in Magenta, Italy, she was a devout Catholic who became a medical doctor specializing in pediatrics. She married Pietro Molla in 1955 and had three children. In 1961, while pregnant with her fourth child, she was diagnosed with a large ovarian tumor. Doctors recommended an abortion or a hysterectomy (which would have ended the pregnancy), but Gianna firmly refused both, insisting they save her child’s life even if it cost her own.
She underwent surgery to remove the tumor while seven weeks pregnant, and the baby survived. On April 28, 1962, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl (Gianna Emanuela). However, Gianna developed a severe infection (peritonitis) and died one week later at age 39. She was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II on May 16, 2004. Her feast day is April 28.
Saint Gianna Berretta Molla is venerated as the patron saint of:
Pregnant women and expectant mothers
Mothers (especially those facing difficult or life-threatening pregnancies)
Unborn children and the pro-life movement
Physicians (particularly pediatricians and obstetricians)
Women who have had difficult pregnancies or miscarriages
Material: Zinc alloy
Quantity: 1
Size: 25mm × 16mm (0.98" × 0.63")
Hole: 1.5mm (0.05")
She is a powerful modern example of sacrificial love for life and is often invoked by women facing high-risk pregnancies or medical decisions involving their unborn child.
She is usually depicted wearing a white doctor’s coat or holding her newborn daughter, often with a gentle, peaceful expression.
Saint Gianna Berretta Molla (1922–1962) was an Italian pediatrician, wife, and mother who is famous for heroically choosing her unborn child’s life over her own.
Born Gianna Berretta in Magenta, Italy, she was a devout Catholic who became a medical doctor specializing in pediatrics. She married Pietro Molla in 1955 and had three children. In 1961, while pregnant with her fourth child, she was diagnosed with a large ovarian tumor. Doctors recommended an abortion or a hysterectomy (which would have ended the pregnancy), but Gianna firmly refused both, insisting they save her child’s life even if it cost her own.
She underwent surgery to remove the tumor while seven weeks pregnant, and the baby survived. On April 28, 1962, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl (Gianna Emanuela). However, Gianna developed a severe infection (peritonitis) and died one week later at age 39. She was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II on May 16, 2004. Her feast day is April 28.
Saint Gianna Berretta Molla is venerated as the patron saint of:
Pregnant women and expectant mothers
Mothers (especially those facing difficult or life-threatening pregnancies)
Unborn children and the pro-life movement
Physicians (particularly pediatricians and obstetricians)
Women who have had difficult pregnancies or miscarriages
Material: Zinc alloy
Quantity: 1
Size: 25mm × 16mm (0.98" × 0.63")
Hole: 1.5mm (0.05")
She is a powerful modern example of sacrificial love for life and is often invoked by women facing high-risk pregnancies or medical decisions involving their unborn child.
She is usually depicted wearing a white doctor’s coat or holding her newborn daughter, often with a gentle, peaceful expression.
