Description
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, physician and mother
Gianna Beretta Molla is shown holding a child and wearing a stethoscope. The two details bring together her medical vocation and family life, while the halo and gold-toned background place this modern portrait within devotional art. The icon is a fitting choice for a family's prayer space or as a religious gift for a physician or medical graduate.
Holiness in family life and medicine
Born in Magenta, Italy, in 1922, Gianna opened a medical practice in Mesero in 1950 and specialized in pediatrics in 1952. Her care included mothers, children, older people, and those in need. She married Pietro Molla in 1955, combining her profession with raising a family. Her biography also records her enjoyment of skiing and mountaineering: her faith belonged to a full, active lay life.
During her fourth pregnancy, she underwent surgery for a uterine fibroma in 1961 and asked that her child's life be protected. Her daughter was born on April 21, 1962; Gianna died a week later despite efforts to save her. John Paul II canonized her on May 16, 2004. The child in this image expresses motherhood without identifying a particular daughter. Together with the stethoscope, it gives the portrait a clear focus on attentive care, family love, and Christian vocation.
Made to order in Poland
Art Christiana makes the icon on linden wood with two coats of primer, decorative gold-tone metal leaf, and an image printed directly onto the prepared surface. It comes with a certificate stating the year of production and a wall hanger.