Saint Gianna Molla: Wife, Mother, Doctor

This is the inspiring story of St. Gianna Molla (1922-1962), now in an updated second edition with new color photos.

Diagnosed with a uterine tumor while pregnant with her fourth child, Molla, a medical doctor, refused a hysterectomy that would have killed the child, opting instead for a riskier surgery. She gave birth to a healthy daughter--but herself succumbed to an infection, leaving behind a husband and three small children.

Canonized in 2004, Gianna Molla has become a beloved saint of our time: a patron of mothers, doctors, and the unborn, and a witness to life in a culture of death. This unique biography, co-authored by Gianna’s own husband, recounts her life leading up to the ultimate sacrifice: a life of heroic witness, love, service, and joy. Through personal anecdotes, we encounter Gianna as she was: a busy, happy Italian woman who lived life to the full, who enjoyed skiing, attending concerts, and spending time with her family, which she wanted to be ＂a little cenacle where Jesus reigns＂. Gianna lived an ordinary life, yet one poured out in love, sacrifice, and devoted service to others--first as a daughter and sister, later as a physician, and finally as a wife and mother.

This moving account of the life and spirituality of St. Gianna Molla, who made the ultimate sacrifice to save her unborn child, will be an inspiration to readers from all walks of life.

Pietro Molla (1912-2010) wasthe husband of St. Gianna Molla, with whom he had four children.

Elio Guerriero, theologian and historian, serves as editorial manager at Jaca Book and Edizioni San Paolo and was the longtime director of the Italian edition of Communio. His other works include Benedict XVI: His Life and Thought, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and The Drama of God. With Pope Benedict XVI’s blessing, he edited his posthumous work What is Christianity?