July 26, 2025 • 11 mins
Dive into the extraordinary life of Saint Gerard Majella, an Italian lay brother of the Redemptorists, whose unwavering devotion to mirror the sacrifices and humiliations of Jesus Christ was awe-inspiring. Despite his frail health, he surpassed the work of his peers, earning the title Father of the Poor for his boundless charity. Revered for his angelic purity, he bore false accusations with admirable patience, leading St. Alphonsus to declare, Brother Gerard is a saint. His divine gifts extended to profound spiritual insight, prophecy, discernment of spirits, bilocation, and seemingly limitless power over nature, sickness, and demons. Today, people seek his intercession for a myriad of causes, including children, expectant mothers, the falsely accused, and more. Join us as we explore the legacy of this saint, drawing from sources like the 1919 Catholic Encyclopedia and Wikipedia.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter fourteen of Life of Saint Gerard Magella. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by John Brandon, Life of Saint Gerard Magella, my
(00:22):
Reverend O. R. Vassal Phillips, Chapter fourteen. He is called
father of the poor. Saint Gerard, on reaching his destination,
was given the office of Porter. Remembering that fidelity to
the duties of one's state is the surest means of sanctification,
(00:43):
the Holy Brother said smilingly, but in all earnestness, that
the key which now opened the hall door must also
one day open wide for him the gates of Paradise.
Perhaps next to the office of Sacristan. None could have
been more congenial to Gerard than that of Porter, for
in this capacity it was his lot to provide for
(01:06):
the necessities of the poor who sought relief at the
convent door. Throughout life he had been noted for his
charity to those in need. With vivid faith, he saw
in them the person of our Lord himself, and was
accustomed to say that the poor were the visible Christ
even as the blessed sacrament was the Christ invisible our house.
(01:30):
At this time, writes Father Chenoia, was besieged with beggars.
The Holy Porter had the same anxiety for their good
that a mother has for the well being of her children.
He possessed the art of always sending them away satisfied,
and neither their unreasonableness nor their deceitful tricks ever made
(01:52):
him lose patience. He was doubly anxious to assist such
of them as were sick. If they were too ill
to come themselves, and sent their children for food, he
did all in his power to supply their wants to
the full. He knew them all, and when he went out,
(02:13):
used to visit them in their own homes. Those who
had seen better days, who were now in need, but
were ashamed to ask openly for relief, were, before all others,
the objects of his solicitude. We are told that he
supported whole families of this class. Funds never seemed to
(02:33):
be wanting to him for any good work. He hoped
in God and was not disappointed. There was a general
failure of crops in the year seventeen fifty four, with
the result that there was great want throughout the country.
By the end of December, two hundred poor persons, men,
(02:55):
women and children came daily for alms to the convent door.
Their state was rendered all the more pitiable from an
exceptionally hard winter, which added to this distress that was
most sufficiently great. Under the circumstances, the father Rector gave
the porter full powers. I charge you, he said, to
(03:19):
provide for the wants of these poor people. Their fate
is in our hands. If we do not help them,
I do not know what is to become of them.
Take anything that is in the house, and do with
it as you think best. Thus given a free hand,
Gerard threw himself with the utmost devotedness into the work.
(03:42):
It was a cold winter, and they were well nigh naked.
Relying on the general permission that he had received, he
went to the community wardrobe, laid hands on everything he
could find, and had clothes made for his poor clients.
During all that inclement season, he kept nothing for himself
but an old worn habit, his cloak, and everything he
(04:05):
could possibly spare he had long ago given away. Indeed,
the cold that year was excessive, so that oftentimes he
would light a fire in the hall in order to
warm the shivering creatures would gather round it, blessing God
and Brother Gerard. The sight of the little children whom
(04:27):
their parents sometimes brought to the convent, all be numbed
with cold, touched him to the quick. Tears of compassion
coursed down his cheeks as he took their poor little
hands and chafed them in his own, remembering the love
of Jesus for innocent children. But it was not enough
(04:49):
to clothe and naked. It was necessary also to feed
the hungry. This would have been impossible had not divine
providence again and again come to Saint Gerard's aid. He
who fed five thousand men with five small loaves, showed
once more that his arm was not shortened. Everyone, both
(05:10):
in the community and outside of it, knew that bread
multiplied miraculously in Gerrard's hands. Thus, a young redemptrious cleric
related that once he was watching the distribution of food
by the marvelous brother, when, to his utter amazement, he
observed that directly the baskets were emptied, they were immediately refilled,
(05:31):
without any human being placing in them anything more whatsoever. Oftentimes,
this miraculous multiplication of food was witnessed by a large
number of other persons, as well as by those of
his own household. He had, with the help of the
other brothers, prepared a little feast for his poor people,
(05:52):
a sumptuous dish of macaroni, loved by every true Italian.
They thought that enough had been prepared and to set,
but there were more guests than Gerard had anticipated. It
became clear that the supply would run short. Everyone felt uncomfortable,
excepting the Saint. He went on quietly, giving everyone an apple,
(06:15):
helping and wonderful to relate. When all were satisfied, there
was still macaroni left upon the dish. It had been
multiplied before their very eyes. One day, Saint Gerard gave
away every morsel of bread in the house, so that
not so much as a single loaf remained for the
community supper. When the brother who had charge of the
(06:39):
baking discovered this, he was, as may easily be imagined,
in a great state of concern, and went off to
the father Rector to complain. The Rector sent for Gerard
and blamed him in the presence of the other brother
for what he had done, especially as it was now
too late in the day to buy bread in the town.
(07:01):
Fear not, father replied Gerard, God will provide. Then, turning
to the brother, he added, rather, let us go and see.
Perhaps there is still some left. No, the other said, impatiently,
there most certainly is not. If you like, I will
let you see for yourself. Gerard followed him to the
(07:25):
bread chest. Now, said the brother, before raising the lid.
Now you will find that there is not a crumb
to be seen. With these words, he opened the chest.
Behold it was quite full. God be ever blessed, cried
out Gerard, and immediately ran away to the church there
(07:46):
to thank the goodness of his Lord. Oh, gasped the
other brother to the father rector, who had just appeared
on the scene. Gerard is a real saint to think
that I should have ventured to complain of him when
I left this place to go to you. I assure
your reverence that there was not one loaf left, not one,
(08:10):
And now the chest is full. God must have done this. Yes,
it is God who has done it, answered the rector.
Let us then leave Gerard alone, for of a truth,
our Lord is pleased to play with him. Sometimes, Almighty
God deigned even to create bread for his servant, that
(08:33):
so he might relieve the poor. There are two recorded
instances of this Lawrence Minniello, an artisan of the neighborhood,
could not find food for his two young daughters during
the general distress. Accordingly, he sent them to Girard, whose
charity he knew to be unfailing. One day they happened
(08:56):
to arrive rather later than usual. Gervert of God, had
finished his distribution and had nothing left to give them.
He was greatly grieved at their disappointment. Then, pausing to think,
he turned away, went inside the convent for an instant,
and came back with two little loaves of bread in
his hands, still piping hot. The children could hardly be
(09:21):
leave their eyes. He had been only away a minute.
They knew that no one could have given him these loaves,
which were indeed of a different size and shape from
those baked in the convent. They fully believed them to
be miraculous, and told their father all about it on
their return home. This same marble was repeated on behalf
(09:44):
of a respectable woman, who, pressed by the pangs of hunger,
took her place one day at the door. Overcome by shame,
she did not like to ask for relief, and held
back bashfully from the crowd. After having finish wish the
usual distribution of food, Gerard went away, pretending not to
(10:04):
see this person. He thought that she had not come
out of any necessity, but from curiosity, as did many
of the inhabitants, to watch the wonders which so often
took place. On being told the real state of the case,
the saint was deeply moved. Why why, he said, was
(10:26):
I not told before? Then? He reflected a minute, went
back into the house, and immediately returned to take out
of the folds of his habit a little loaf, quite hot,
as if it had just come out of the oven,
as in the case of the loaves given to the children.
It was of a much finer quality than the bread
(10:47):
in the convent. Besides, it was found that the oven
was cold, and that the fire had not been lighted
all the day. Thus was Gerard wondrously enabled during the
hard winter to provide for the wants of the starving
people of Capiselli. He was, in truth the father of
the poor. End of chapter fourteen, recording by John Brandon
Chapter fourteen of Life of Saint Gerard Magella. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by John Brandon, Life of Saint Gerard Magella, my
(00:22):
Reverend O. R. Vassal Phillips, Chapter fourteen. He is called
father of the poor. Saint Gerard, on reaching his destination,
was given the office of Porter. Remembering that fidelity to
the duties of one's state is the surest means of sanctification,
(00:43):
the Holy Brother said smilingly, but in all earnestness, that
the key which now opened the hall door must also
one day open wide for him the gates of Paradise.
Perhaps next to the office of Sacristan. None could have
been more congenial to Gerard than that of Porter, for
in this capacity it was his lot to provide for
(01:06):
the necessities of the poor who sought relief at the
convent door. Throughout life he had been noted for his
charity to those in need. With vivid faith, he saw
in them the person of our Lord himself, and was
accustomed to say that the poor were the visible Christ
even as the blessed sacrament was the Christ invisible our house.
(01:30):
At this time, writes Father Chenoia, was besieged with beggars.
The Holy Porter had the same anxiety for their good
that a mother has for the well being of her children.
He possessed the art of always sending them away satisfied,
and neither their unreasonableness nor their deceitful tricks ever made
(01:52):
him lose patience. He was doubly anxious to assist such
of them as were sick. If they were too ill
to come themselves, and sent their children for food, he
did all in his power to supply their wants to
the full. He knew them all, and when he went out,
(02:13):
used to visit them in their own homes. Those who
had seen better days, who were now in need, but
were ashamed to ask openly for relief, were, before all others,
the objects of his solicitude. We are told that he
supported whole families of this class. Funds never seemed to
(02:33):
be wanting to him for any good work. He hoped
in God and was not disappointed. There was a general
failure of crops in the year seventeen fifty four, with
the result that there was great want throughout the country.
By the end of December, two hundred poor persons, men,
(02:55):
women and children came daily for alms to the convent door.
Their state was rendered all the more pitiable from an
exceptionally hard winter, which added to this distress that was
most sufficiently great. Under the circumstances, the father Rector gave
the porter full powers. I charge you, he said, to
(03:19):
provide for the wants of these poor people. Their fate
is in our hands. If we do not help them,
I do not know what is to become of them.
Take anything that is in the house, and do with
it as you think best. Thus given a free hand,
Gerard threw himself with the utmost devotedness into the work.
(03:42):
It was a cold winter, and they were well nigh naked.
Relying on the general permission that he had received, he
went to the community wardrobe, laid hands on everything he
could find, and had clothes made for his poor clients.
During all that inclement season, he kept nothing for himself
but an old worn habit, his cloak, and everything he
(04:05):
could possibly spare he had long ago given away. Indeed,
the cold that year was excessive, so that oftentimes he
would light a fire in the hall in order to
warm the shivering creatures would gather round it, blessing God
and Brother Gerard. The sight of the little children whom
(04:27):
their parents sometimes brought to the convent, all be numbed
with cold, touched him to the quick. Tears of compassion
coursed down his cheeks as he took their poor little
hands and chafed them in his own, remembering the love
of Jesus for innocent children. But it was not enough
(04:49):
to clothe and naked. It was necessary also to feed
the hungry. This would have been impossible had not divine
providence again and again come to Saint Gerard's aid. He
who fed five thousand men with five small loaves, showed
once more that his arm was not shortened. Everyone, both
(05:10):
in the community and outside of it, knew that bread
multiplied miraculously in Gerrard's hands. Thus, a young redemptrious cleric
related that once he was watching the distribution of food
by the marvelous brother, when, to his utter amazement, he
observed that directly the baskets were emptied, they were immediately refilled,
(05:31):
without any human being placing in them anything more whatsoever. Oftentimes,
this miraculous multiplication of food was witnessed by a large
number of other persons, as well as by those of
his own household. He had, with the help of the
other brothers, prepared a little feast for his poor people,
(05:52):
a sumptuous dish of macaroni, loved by every true Italian.
They thought that enough had been prepared and to set,
but there were more guests than Gerard had anticipated. It
became clear that the supply would run short. Everyone felt uncomfortable,
excepting the Saint. He went on quietly, giving everyone an apple,
(06:15):
helping and wonderful to relate. When all were satisfied, there
was still macaroni left upon the dish. It had been
multiplied before their very eyes. One day, Saint Gerard gave
away every morsel of bread in the house, so that
not so much as a single loaf remained for the
community supper. When the brother who had charge of the
(06:39):
baking discovered this, he was, as may easily be imagined,
in a great state of concern, and went off to
the father Rector to complain. The Rector sent for Gerard
and blamed him in the presence of the other brother
for what he had done, especially as it was now
too late in the day to buy bread in the town.
(07:01):
Fear not, father replied Gerard, God will provide. Then, turning
to the brother, he added, rather, let us go and see.
Perhaps there is still some left. No, the other said, impatiently,
there most certainly is not. If you like, I will
let you see for yourself. Gerard followed him to the
(07:25):
bread chest. Now, said the brother, before raising the lid.
Now you will find that there is not a crumb
to be seen. With these words, he opened the chest.
Behold it was quite full. God be ever blessed, cried
out Gerard, and immediately ran away to the church there
(07:46):
to thank the goodness of his Lord. Oh, gasped the
other brother to the father rector, who had just appeared
on the scene. Gerard is a real saint to think
that I should have ventured to complain of him when
I left this place to go to you. I assure
your reverence that there was not one loaf left, not one,
(08:10):
And now the chest is full. God must have done this. Yes,
it is God who has done it, answered the rector.
Let us then leave Gerard alone, for of a truth,
our Lord is pleased to play with him. Sometimes, Almighty
God deigned even to create bread for his servant, that
(08:33):
so he might relieve the poor. There are two recorded
instances of this Lawrence Minniello, an artisan of the neighborhood,
could not find food for his two young daughters during
the general distress. Accordingly, he sent them to Girard, whose
charity he knew to be unfailing. One day they happened
(08:56):
to arrive rather later than usual. Gervert of God, had
finished his distribution and had nothing left to give them.
He was greatly grieved at their disappointment. Then, pausing to think,
he turned away, went inside the convent for an instant,
and came back with two little loaves of bread in
his hands, still piping hot. The children could hardly be
(09:21):
leave their eyes. He had been only away a minute.
They knew that no one could have given him these loaves,
which were indeed of a different size and shape from
those baked in the convent. They fully believed them to
be miraculous, and told their father all about it on
their return home. This same marble was repeated on behalf
(09:44):
of a respectable woman, who, pressed by the pangs of hunger,
took her place one day at the door. Overcome by shame,
she did not like to ask for relief, and held
back bashfully from the crowd. After having finish wish the
usual distribution of food, Gerard went away, pretending not to
(10:04):
see this person. He thought that she had not come
out of any necessity, but from curiosity, as did many
of the inhabitants, to watch the wonders which so often
took place. On being told the real state of the case,
the saint was deeply moved. Why why, he said, was
(10:26):
I not told before? Then? He reflected a minute, went
back into the house, and immediately returned to take out
of the folds of his habit a little loaf, quite hot,
as if it had just come out of the oven,
as in the case of the loaves given to the children.
It was of a much finer quality than the bread
(10:47):
in the convent. Besides, it was found that the oven
was cold, and that the fire had not been lighted
all the day. Thus was Gerard wondrously enabled during the
hard winter to provide for the wants of the starving
people of Capiselli. He was, in truth the father of
the poor. End of chapter fourteen, recording by John Brandon
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