St. Gerard Majella (1726–1755), a Redemptorist lay brother from southern Italy, is the beloved patron of mothers, expectant mothers and couples hoping for a child. Countless families pray to him during pregnancy and childbirth, and many hospitals and parishes give out “St. Gerard prayers” to new mothers. Below are prayers to St. Gerard for a safe pregnancy, for those longing to conceive, after the loss of a baby and in thanksgiving, how to pray his novena, and the remarkable story of his short life.
A prayer to St. Gerard for a safe pregnancy
Written for this page:
St. Gerard Majella, patron of mothers,
I entrust to you my pregnancy and the little life within me.
Watch over my baby as he (she) grows,
protect us both from every danger,
and obtain for me a safe and happy delivery.
Help me to welcome this child with love
and to raise him (her) to know and serve God. Amen.
A prayer to St. Gerard for those hoping to conceive
St. Gerard, you know the longing of our hearts.
We ask your prayers that God may bless us with a child, if it is his will.
Strengthen our marriage while we wait,
keep us from bitterness and despair,
and help us to trust in God’s love and his plan for our family.
St. Gerard, pray for us. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. Hannah, the mother of Samuel, prayed for years for a child:
For this child did I pray, and the Lord hath granted me my petition, which I asked of him.
A prayer after the loss of a baby
Lord, our child has gone to you before we could hold him (her) in our arms.
We entrust our little one to your mercy and love.
St. Gerard, comfort us in our grief,
and Mary, Mother of Sorrows, stay with us. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See also our prayers for deceased loved ones.
A prayer of thanksgiving after birth
Thank you, Lord, for the gift of our child, (name).
Thank you, St. Gerard, for your prayers.
Bless our baby, bless our family,
and lead us soon to the waters of baptism. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See our Catholic baptism guide.
Scripture for mothers
And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.
Blessed are all they that fear the Lord: that walk in his ways.
For thou shalt eat the labours of thy hands: blessed art thou, and it shall be well with thee.
Thy wife as a fruitful vine, on the sides of thy house. Thy children as olive plants, round about thy table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.
May the Lord bless thee out of Sion: and mayest thou see the good things of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
And mayest thou see thy children’s children, peace upon Israel.
The St. Gerard novena
Pray one of the prayers above each day for nine days, followed by an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be. Many mothers pray it in the last weeks of pregnancy. The traditional novena before his feast runs from October 7 to 15, ending on the eve of October 16, the day of his death.
The life of St. Gerard Majella
Gerard was born in Muro Lucano, in southern Italy, in April 1726. His father died when he was a child, and his mother, who was poor, apprenticed him to a tailor. As a young tailor he gave his earnings to his mother, to the poor and for the souls in purgatory. After being turned away by the Franciscans and failing as a hermit, he was accepted by the Redemptorists, the new congregation of St. Alphonsus Liguori, in 1749.
As a lay brother he worked as tailor, porter and gardener, and was known as the “Father of the Poor.” He was famous for his obedience, his love of the Eucharist and the many cures and wonders attributed to him. When he was falsely accused of a grave sin, he kept silent rather than defend himself, until his accuser confessed the lie; St. Alphonsus then declared, “Brother Gerard is a saint.” He died of tuberculosis on October 16, 1755, at Materdomini (Caposele), aged 29. He was beatified in 1893 and canonized by Pope St. Pius X in 1904.
Why mothers pray to him: shortly before his death, Gerard dropped his handkerchief during a visit to a family. When a girl of the house ran after him to return it, he told her to keep it, because one day she would need it. Years later, in danger of death during childbirth, she asked for the handkerchief, and she and her baby were saved. Devotion to St. Gerard as the patron of mothers spread from there, and his feast is still marked in many places with a blessing of mothers.
Frequently asked questions
What is St. Gerard the patron saint of?
Expectant mothers, childbirth, mothers, the unborn, and couples hoping to conceive. He is also invoked for a good confession and by the falsely accused.
When is St. Gerard’s feast day?
October 16.
Is there a St. Gerard medal or blessing?
Yes. Many Redemptorist parishes and shrines give out St. Gerard medals and prayer cards, and hold a blessing of mothers and expectant mothers on or near October 16.
More prayers for mothers and families
- Catholic prayer after a miscarriage
- Prayer for a baby in the NICU
- Catholic prayer for pregnancy
- St. Anne prayer
- Patron saints of the family
- Catholic prayer for children
- Prayers of the Faithful for mothers
Texts and sources
- Life: John Magnier, “St. Gerard Majella,” Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), public domain (Wikisource).
- Scripture: 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 1:27; Luke 1:41–45; Psalm 127 (128 in modern Bibles), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayers were written for this page.