Gerard of Villamagna (1174 - 13 May 1242) - known also as Gerard Mecatti and Gerard of Monza - was an

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professed member of the

Order of Saint John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

and the

Third Order of Saint Francis The Third Order of Saint Francis is a third order in the Franciscan tradition of Christianity, founded by the medieval Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi. The preaching of Francis and his disciples caused many married men and women to w ...

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beatified him on 18 March 1833. The Order of St. John maintains his feast in their Missal and Breviary.

Life

He was born in 1174 in the

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to poor parents who died in his childhood. He was taken in by another family who raised him while a son of that family became part of the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

(aka: The Order of St. John,) and chose him as his esquire to go with him on a trip to the Holy Land, though the two were taken as prisoners whilst on that crusade. That knight died during the trip and he was soon ransomed off. Gerard visited Palestine before he returned to his homeland where he voyaged with another knight to Syria on a ship with 20 others when pirates attacked yet eluded them due to Gerard's prayers. He later met Francis of Assisi and became a member of the

and lived the rest of his life as a hermit. All his life he wore on his garments the white cross of the Religion of the

. He was content with putting the habits of both religions one over the other, and he added the observances of vows and promises of one order to those of the other. He withdrew into a wretched hovel not far from the place of his birth. There he led the most strict life as an hermit, entirely occupied with contemplation and penance. He wore a hair shirt, scourged himself, fasted, and humiliated himself incessantly. These practices caused his reputation for sanctity to spread; he alas called by no other name than the Antony or Hilarion of his age. Each night, so as not to be seen, he was accustomed to cover on his knees a distance of three miles. In the 17th century, the Confraternity of Saint Donino of Villamagna still covered in procession that same distance in memory of the holy penitent, but not on their knees. Finally, Gerard Mecatti fell ill, and nuns were sent to take care of him. One night in January, as the sister asked him whether he wanted anything, he answered with a smile: "Yes, I should like to eat some cherries". She thought he was delirious. He insisted, however, and she went out partly convinced that she would find cherries. There, in a small enclosure, she saw a cherry tree full of very red and very ripe fruit "as fine and fresh as in June". It was for that reason that Gerard Mecatti is depicted dressed in grey but wearing the cross of Saint John on his breast and carrying a branch loaded with red cherries. On 13 May 1254, he died in his hermitage, full of meritorious years and virtues. His body was placed not far from there in the branches of an oak tree, so that he might be out of reach of the fanatic piety of the villagers who would not have hesitated to dig him up in order to divide his relics. But the precaution did not suffice; the

had to send soldiers to protect his body in that elevated position. Then, it was decided to build a church in his honour in Villamagna. He now rests there, under the main altar, in a reliquary of stone. As late as the 17th century, his body was still well preserved and intact; it emitted a pleasing fragrance, as could be corroborated every year on the day of his feast - the second day of Pentecost - when it was shown to the people.

Beatification

His beatification was approved under

on 18 March 1833.

References

External links

Saints SQPNSaints of the Day: 13 May

{{Authority control 1174 births 1242 deaths People from Bagno a Ripoli 13th-century venerated Christians 13th-century Italian Christian monks Franciscan beatified people Italian beatified people Italian Franciscans Members of the Third Order of Saint Francis Venerated Catholics