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  • The National Shrine of St. Gerard Majella is located in Newark, New Jersey.
  • St. Lucy’s Church, which houses the shrine, was built in 1925. This historic church is the center of Newark’s Little Italy neighborhood. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Every year the church celebrates the Feast of St. Gerard with four days of prayer, food, and song. The heart of the celebration is a series of novenas and Masses for mothers and families seeking help and solace from St. Gerard.
  • The interior of St. Lucy’s Church. Many expectant mothers and childless women visited the church’s shrine to St. Gerard. In 1977, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops named it the national shrine of St. Gerard.
  • The ceiling of St. Lucy’s Church. Many of the immigrants who helped to build the church came from Southern Italy. The church’s beautiful murals were painted by Gonippo Raggi, who trained as a painter in Rome.
  • A statue of St. Gerard is carried to St. Lucy’s Church in a procession.
  • St. Gerard before the altar of St. Lucy’s Church. The saint has attracted a large devotion from mothers who are experiencing difficult pregnancies or having trouble conceiving. Many other people come seeking St. Gerard’s aid for a variety of family problems.
The National Shrine of St. Gerard Majella is located in Newark, New Jersey.
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© John Touhey | Aleteia