Description
Medal – St Gerard / Our Lady Of Perpetual Help – Silver Oxide (22mm x 15mm) – Designed and Made in Italy
St. Gerard Majella (1726–1755) is an Italian Catholic Redemptorist lay brother, widely known as the patron saint of mothers, expectant mothers, and childbirth. He is celebrated for his deep humility, dedication to the poor, and numerous reputed miracles.Known as the “Wonder-Worker of our Day” during his lifetime, his legacy is particularly strong among families and those seeking safe pregnancies.
Life and LegacyBackground: Born in Muro Lucano, Italy, he grew up in poverty following his father’s death, eventually becoming a tailor before joining the Redemptorists.Patronage: He is best known as the patron saint of childbirth and expectant mothers. This association stems from an incident where he left a blessed handkerchief with a young woman, which was later credited with saving her life and her baby’s during a difficult labor.
Other Patronages: He is also the patron of children, lay brothers, the falsely accused, and those seeking good confessions
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a celebrated 15th-century Byzantine icon depicting the Virgin Mary and Child Jesus. Its rich history involves theft, a perilous sea voyage, miraculous healings in Rome, and a global devotion spread by Redemptorist missionaries.The Origins and Arrival in RomePainted on walnut wood, the icon is believed to have originated in Crete between 1325 and 1480. According to tradition, a merchant stole the image from a Cretan church and brought it to Rome. During the sea voyage, a violent storm threatened the ship, but all on board were saved after praying to the Blessed Mother.Once in Rome, the merchant fell ill. Before dying, he instructed a friend to display the icon in a local church. Instead, the friend’s family kept it in their home. The Virgin Mary subsequently appeared to the family’s six-year-old daughter in a dream, requesting that the image be placed in a church between the Basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. In 1499, the icon was installed in the Church of St. Matthew.Disappearance and RediscoveryFor nearly 300 years, the icon was famous for performing countless miracles. However, during the invasion of Rome by Napoleon’s forces in 1798, the Church of St. Matthew was destroyed. The icon disappeared and was largely forgotten for over 60 years.Through an unfolding chain of events, the lost icon was discovered in a small chapel along the Tiber River, where it was being quietly venerated. An old Augustinian monk told a young altar boy, Michael Marky, about the painting’s miraculous past. Years later, Michael joined the Redemptorist religious order, who had coincidentally built a new church on the very same site as the destroyed St. Matthew’s.Global DevotionIn 1865, Pope Pius IX officially entrusted the icon to the Redemptorists, famously instructing them to “Make her known throughout the world”. The restored icon was permanently enshrined at the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome, where it remains today. Since then, the Redemptorists have distributed millions of reproductions globally, making it one of the most widespread and recognized images of Mary in history.Symbolism of the IconEvery detail in the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help carries profound theological meaning:The Archangels: St. Michael (left) and St. Gabriel (right) hover above, bearing the instruments of Christ’s Passion (the cross, nails, lance, and sponge).Jesus: Looking toward the angels in distress, the Child Jesus runs to His mother. The anguish is so intense that one of His sandals is shown slipping off.Mary: Instead of looking at her Son, her compassionate gaze is directed outward toward the viewer. She holds Jesus securely, representing a mother’s eternal comfort and protection for all who call upon he
