Celebrating St Gerard Majella

 

St Gerard Majella: Robert Lentz

MY VERY CATHOLIC PARENTS made intentional choices when naming their children. At my baptism I was given the spiritual mentors, Anthony of Padua and Gerard Majella. Both inspiring men who were so captured by commitment to the reign of God they dedicated their lives in consecrated service in their particular time and culture.

Anthony and Gerard both  died young, lived chastely and were not exactly fun role models for a young teen caught up in the spirit of the 60's. However, their passion for God's reign of truth and service of the poor inspired my childhood and youth.

Today, 16 October  is the feast day of Gerard Majella so all of us bearing his name carry a bit of his spiritual DNA. His life story is a jolly good read worthy of a Peter Jackson movie. 

For a bloke who never had a sexual encounter he has managed to collect the heavenly task of being patron of pregnant women. That's one reason you find so many Gerards around from good old Catholic families. In my family alone, I scored him as a second name, I have a young brother called Gerard and my mother's youngest sister was  called Majella.

We both share another quirky bit of personal history with a connection to the Capuchin Friars with whom I lived for 7 years but GM couldn't get a show-in despite two attempts to pass the entrance exam.

Happy name day to all those in my social media network who carry variations of the name Gerard Majella. Catholic trivia moment: he is one of the few if only  saints shared across male and female naming rights.

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