St. Gerard MajellaGerard was born as Gerardo Majella on April 23, 1725 in Muro Lucano, Italy. He was the son of a tailor who died when Gerard was 12, leaving the family in poverty. Gerard tried to join the Capuchin order, but his health prevented it. He was accepted as a Redemptorist lay brother serving his congregation as sacristan, gardener, ostiarius, infirmarian, and tailor.When falsely accused by a pregnant woman of being the father of her child, he retreated to silence; she later recanted and cleared him, and thus began his association as patron of all aspects of pregnancy. He is a saint whose intercession is requested for children (and unborn children in particular); childbirth; mothers (and expectant mothers in particular); motherhood; falsely accusedpeople; good confessions; lay brothers; and Muro Lucano, Italy.He was a man of great depth, insight, prayer and kindness. Unfortunately his health was never good. He died on October 16 1755, at 30 years of age. Gerard was beatified on January 29, 1893 by Pope Leo XIII, and was canonised on December 11, 1904 by Pope Saint Pius X. He was featured on an Italian 45-euro postage stamp in May 2005. The feast day of Saint Gerard Majella is October 16.The Redemptorists Annual Nine Day NovenaSt. Joseph's Parish Church,a redemptorist House in Dundalk, welcomes thousands of people from all over Ireland to the Annual Festival of Faith in Honour of St. Gerard Majella. After Bro. Gerard's Beatification in 1893, a triuum in his honour was preached in St. Joseph's by Fr. Hall, widely regarded as one of the greatest preachers of his day. The people of Dundalk took St. Gerard into their hearts after this sermon and continued to pay devotion to him on a regular basis. However during the 1930s, Fr. John Murray, started what has become the biggest festival of faith in Ireland, the Annual Nine Day Novena to St. Gerard Majella, beginning on the 8th October and finishing on his feast day, the 16th October. Fr. Hugo Kerr erected a shrine to St. Gerard in the church in 1939. Today the Novena continues to grow with over 10,000 people attending the Novena on a daily basis.The Novena consists of 10 sessions a day, with the first session starting at 7am, running all day until the last session at 10pm, when the mass is conducted by candlelight. Prayers and Petitions are offered up daily by members of the public and are read out during each session. Due to the increasing numbers attending the Novena each year extra seating is added to the hallways, monastery rooms, side altars and the parish hall, where each session is shown live on large television screens.One memorable event of the Novena from years past was the trumpet players that performed at each of the sessions on the last day of the Novena. The last days of the Novena also see an increase in attendance as those who are unable to make it throughout the Novena usually attend the last three days.Highlights of the NovenaCommunal Celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (usually on the 5th Day)Healing Mass with the Anointing of the Sick and the Elderly (held on the Saturday)The Blessing of Babies (2.30pm service held on the Sunday)The Novena of All Nations (4.30pm on the Sunday)Taize Mass - Candlelight Session. Nightly at 10.30pmGuest Speaker - lay people sharing their experience of life situations.Prayer to St. Gerard MajellaAlmighty and Eternal God, we thank you for the gift of St. Gerard and the example of his life.Because St. Gerard always had complete faith and trust in you, you blessed him with great powers of help and healing.Through him, you showed your loving concern for all those who suffered or were in need.You never failed to hear his prayer on their behalf. Today, through St. Gerard’s powerful intercession, you continue to show your love for all those who place their trust in you.And so, Father, full of faith and confidence, and in thanksgiving for all the wonderful things you have done for us, we place ourselves before you today.Through the intercession of St. Gerard, hear our petitions, and if it is your holy will, grant them. Amen.Prayer: O Great Saint Gerard, beloved servant of Jesus Christ, perfect imitator of your meek and humble Savior, and devoted Child of the Mother of God: enkindle within my heart one spark of that heavenly fire of charity which glowed in your heart and made you an angel of love. O glorious Saint Gerard, because when falsely accused of crime, you did bear, like your Divine master, without murmur or complaint, the calumnies of wicked men, you have been raised up by God as the Patron and Protector of expectant mothers. Preserve me from danger and from the excessive pains accompanying childbirth, and shield the child which I now carry, that it may see the light of day and receive the lustral waters of baptism through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
