Gerard of Villamagna
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Blessed Gerard Mecatti of Villamagna T.O.S.F. - SMOM |
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| Layman | |
| Born | 1174 Villamagna, Republic of Florence |
| Died | 13 May 1242 (aged 68) Villamagna, Republic of Florence |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 18 March 1833, Saint Peter's Basilica, Papal States by Pope Gregory XVI |
| Feast | 13 May |
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Blessed Gerard of Villamagna (1174 - 13 May 1242) - known also as Gerard Mecatti and Gerard of Monza - was an Italian Roman Catholic professed member from the Order of Saint John and the Third Order of Saint Francis.
Pope Gregory XVI beatified him on 18 March 1833.
The Order of St. John maintains his feast in their Missal and Breviary.
He was born in 1174 in the Republic of Florence 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 (aka: The Order of St. John, also styled the Sovereign Military Order of Malta) 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 Saint Francis of Assisi and became a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis 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 Knights Hospitaller. 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.
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