Saint Gerard Majella and the Miracles of the Lost Key and Handkerchief

Saint Gerard Majella the Handkerchief SaintConsidered one of the greatest patrons and intercessors for healthy births.  Miracles of Saint Gerard Majella The Miracle of the lost key The Miracle of the Handkerchief

As God always allows the sweet along with the bitter, one of Gerard’s miracles came to pass during his sojourn with the Bishop. One day Gerard accidentally dropped a key to the Bishop’s house into the well. Because the Child Jesus had been a Friend and Benefactor from the time Gerard was a boy, with the simplicity and innocence of a Saint, Gerard lowered a statue of the Child Jesus in the well. Before the onlookers could begin to make fun of him, to their utter astonishment, Gerard raised the statue of the Child Jesus, only now with the key in its hand. Saint Gerard Majella The Handkerchief Saint - Patron of Expectant MothersWe told you at the beginning of our chapter on St. Gerard Majella that he came to our attention through the devotion we found, mostly by expectant mothers, in a little hamlet in central Arkansas, Morrilton. When we began studying about St. Gerard, we made it a point to find out whatever we could which would encourage expectant mothers to appeal to St. Gerard either for being able to become pregnant, and/or for the healthy delivery of their children.The tradition of the handkerchief as told by the Redemptorists goes like this. One time, after having visited with a particular family, he dropped his handkerchief as he was leaving. One of the daughters called out to him as she picked it up. He looked at her with a very kind but knowing look. “Keep it,” he said. “One day it will be of service to you.”The young girl kept it, not because she thought it would come in handy later on in life, but because Gerard was considered a living Saint by most of the people in that southern part of Italy. She just wanted it as a souvenir or relic of a Saint. However, a time would come for her later in life, most likely after the death of our Saint, but before he was beatified or canonized, when she drew on that relic of the Saint for help. She was in the throes of childbirth, which is always a dangerous situation, but at that time, it was much more dangerous than it is today. She was in danger of dying, and her child with her. It came to her, or did St. Gerard whisper in her ear from Heaven, to take that handkerchief and pray for the intercession of St. Gerard to save her and her baby. No sooner had she made the petition than the gift was granted. Her baby was delivered in perfect health, and both mother and child were well.   Browse our Saint Gerard Majella Collection