«The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and thank God for what He sends us each day.» This wise reflection sounds like something a good mother would say, and in this case, one did. It is a gem from St. Gianna Beretta Molla, Catholic wife, physician and mother, who died in 1962 after selflessly prioritizing the health of her unborn baby over her own during a difficult pregnancy. St. Gianna is among dozens of Catholic mothers whom the Church has canonized for their faith, charity and saintly virtues.
1. St. Helena (c. 248-c. 328)
Helena was the mother of Constantine, the Roman emperor who in 313 put an end to the persecution of Christians throughout the empire. She was born in Asia Minor, married a Roman general named Constantius Chlorus, and gave birth to Constantine in 274 in what is now Serbia. She converted to Christianity in 312 and from then on was known for her devotion, prayer life and generosity to the poor. Around 326, she went to the Holy Land, where she spent her last years humbly doing housework in her convent, but also building churches in holy places. It is said that he found the «true cross» of Calvary. His feast day is celebrated on August 18.
2. St. Monica (331-387)
This North African laywoman married Patrick, and St. Augustine of Hippo was their eldest son. She tried to raise him as a Christian, but she also had ambitions for his worldly success. He despised Christianity and had a child with his mistress. In 383, Monica followed Augustine to Italy, where she was a follower of St. Ambrose. Three years later, Augustine was baptized. Monica fell ill and died before her return to Africa. Years earlier, a bishop had famously advised her, «It is not possible that the child of so many tears should be lost.» Her feast day is celebrated on August 27.
3. Saint Emelia of Caesarea (died about 375)
St. Emmelia comes from a family of saints. Her husband is St. Basil the Great, a lawyer and son of St. Macrina the Great. Of her 10 children, four were canonized: St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Macrina the Less and St. Peter of Sebaste. St. Emmelia dedicated herself to the education of her children and to the knowledge of the Scriptures. After raising her children, St. Emmelia along with her daughter Macrina gave up their high standard of living and formed a small monastic community of nuns on the family estate. Her feast day is celebrated on May 30.
4. St. Margaret of Scotland (c. 1045-1093)
Margaret may have been born in Hungary to a German mother, but as the granddaughter of an English king she was taken to England. She took refuge in Scotland after the Norman conquest and in 1070 married King Malcolm III. They had two daughters and six sons; one son also became a saint. Deeply religious, she used her influence to align the Scottish church with Rome and was known for caring for orphans and the poor. She died four days after her husband's murder; they were buried in Dunfermline Abbey. She was canonized in 1250. Her feast day is celebrated on November 16.
5. St. Hedwig of Silesia (c. 1174-1243)
A laywoman from Bavaria in southern Germany, Hedwig married the Duke of Silesia in southern Poland. Henry I encouraged his wife's many charitable activities, one of which was to found an abbey of Cistercian nuns in Trzebnica. The couple vowed to live chastely after the birth of their seventh child in 1209. When Henry died in 1238, Hedwig moved to the abbey, where her daughter Gertrude was abbess, but without becoming a nun. She used her fortune to help the poor and suffering of the surrounding area, and is remembered for increasing German influence in Silesia. She was canonized in 1267. Her feast day is celebrated on October 16.
6. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231)
Elizabeth's short life was, however, full; she had a happy marriage and children, was a Secular Franciscan and was so dedicated to the poor and sick that she gave away her royal robes and founded hospitals. The daughter of a Hungarian king, Elizabeth married at the age of 14 to Ludwig, a nobleman from Thuringia. He complained about the expense of her many charities until he witnessed a miracle involving Elisabeth, bread and roses. After he died during a crusade, she became a member of the Franciscan Third Order in Marburg, Germany, where she founded a hospital to care for the sick. Elizabeth is the patroness of bakers, young wives, widows, the falsely accused, countesses and Secular Franciscans. She was canonized in 1235. Her feast is celebrated on November 17.
7. St. Bridget of Sweden (c. 1303-1373)
Brigida, or Birgitta, married a Swedish nobleman; the couple had eight children, among them St. Catherine of Vadstena. Around 1335, Brigida was appointed chief lady-in-waiting at the Swedish court. After she was widowed in 1344, she founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior, known as the Brigidines. Brigida spent much of her time in Rome, leading an austere life and devoting herself to the care of the poor and the sick. She died there, having made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Brigid claimed to have had visions and inspirations throughout her life, which generated both influence and controversy. She was canonized in 1391. Her feast day is celebrated on July 23.
8. Saint Frances of Rome (1384-1440)
This laywoman and foundress, born into the Roman aristocracy, married Lorenzo Ponziano at the age of 13; they had several children. In 1409, their palace was sacked by Neapolitan soldiers and Lorenzo was exiled for five years, returning home a broken man. He died in 1436. Frances, known for her great charity during epidemics and civil war, organized a society of ladies dedicated to self-denial and good works. This became the Oblates of Tor de Specchi, a community she directed during the last four years of her life. She is the patron saint of motorists, perhaps because she was guarded for 23 years by an archangel visible only to her. Her last words were: “The angel has finished his work. He beckons me to follow him”. She was canonized in 1608. Her feast day is celebrated on March 9.
9. Saint Jeanne-Françoise de Chantal (1572-1641)
At the age of 20, Jeanne-Françoise Frémyot, from Dijon, France, married Baron Christophe de Rabutin-Chantal. They were happy, but after eight years she was widowed, leaving her with four children. In 1604, St. Francis de Sales became her spiritual director; both collaborated in the foundation of the Order of the Visitation of St. Mary, conceived for those women who did not adapt to the more rigorous life of other religious communities. At his death, there were about 80 Visitation convents. St. Vincent de Paul, a contemporary of hers, called her “one of the holiest persons I have ever known on this earth”. Saint Jeanne-Françoise de Chantal was canonized in 1767. Her feast day is celebrated on August 12.
10. Saint Louise de Marillac (1591-1660)
Born in Auvergne, France, Louise married a royal court official, Antoine Le Gras. After his death in 1625, and despite financial difficulties and bouts of melancholy, she was an active collaborator in the charitable works of St. Vincent de Paul and became co-founder with him of the Daughters of Charity. She wrote the first draft of her rule. By the time of her death, the order had established 40 houses in France, and the Daughters of Charity cared for the sick poor in Parisian parishes and took in hundreds of women. St. Louise de Marillac was canonized in 1934. Her feast day is celebrated on March 15.
11. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)
Raised as an Episcopalian in colonial New York City, Elizabeth married William Magee Seton, a merchant. The couple had five children. William died in 1803 in Italy, where Elizabeth learned about Catholicism from the family who extended hospitality to her. The wars had ruined the family's shipping business. After converting to Catholicism in New York in 1805, the now poor Elizabeth was abandoned by old friends, but accepted the offer of a Baltimore priest to open a school for girls there. In 1809 she founded the Sisters of Charity of America, whose schools and orphanages grew in number. She became the first U.S.-born saint in 1975 and is the patron saint of converts. She was canonized in 1975. Her feast day is celebrated on January 4.
12. Saint Zélie Martin (1831-1877)
Zélie (Celia) Martin was a woman of deep religious faith and an industrious work ethic as a lacemaker. She and her husband, St. Louis Martin, had nine children, five of whom survived to adulthood. Their most famous child is St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a doctor of the Church, but their daughter Léonie Martin, a Visitation sister, also has an open cause for canonization. She and Louis were known as affectionate and loving parents, but Zélie's writings reveal the challenges she faced as a mother, some as a result of the neglect and poverty she experienced as a child. She died of breast cancer when Thérèse, her youngest daughter, was 4 years old. In 2015, Zélie and Louis became the first married couple to be canonized together. Their feast day is celebrated on July 12.
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