CLOUD OF WITNESSES
Gianna Francesca was born to
Alberto and Marie Beretta in 1922 in Magenta, a city on the outskirts of Milan, Italy. The Berettas were dedicated parents who strove to raise a joyful, pious family. Gianna, the tenth of the Beretta’s thirteen children, eagerly received the Catholic faith passed onto her from her parents. She was a diligent student and dutiful daughter throughout her childhood. As a young adult, Gianna served her community by working with the poor through the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and with the youth in Catholic Action. She also had a passion for the beauty of nature and enjoyed spending time outdoors, skiing and mountaineering. Gianna’s life was marked by a strong trust in Providence as well as a conviction that life was a gift from God. This trust in God’s providence would prove to be one of the defining characteristics of Gianna’s life.
After finishing her undergraduate studies, Gianna pursued a career in medicine at the University of Pavia, specializing in Family Medicine and Pediatrics. Upon completing her degree, she opened her own medical clinic in Mesero, a town near her childhood home. Gianna took her vocation as a doctor seriously and dedicated herself to assisting those most in need, including poor mothers, babies, and the elderly. This dedication to the poor prompted Gianna to consider medical missionary work. She even attempted to join her brother, who was a missionary priest in Brazil. However, her poor health prevented her from going, so she carried on her work at the medical clinic in Mesero. Gianna continued to seek God’s will for her life. For a time, she considered entering a convent and serving God in the religious life, but after much prayer—and after meeting her future
Born: October 4, 1922 | Died: April 28, 1962 | Feast Day: April 28th Patron Saint of: Mothers, Physicians, Unborn Children “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” - Hebrews 12:1