Birth of the Sanctuary of San Gerardo in Piedimonte Etneo

The birth of the Sanctuary of San Gerardo in Piedimonte Etneo is linked to a miraculous event.
It is said that in 1923 a woman, Mrs. Menica Mazza, who lived in the countryside where the Sanctuary of San Gerardo stands today, suffered from continuous hemorrhages which caused her to have repeated miscarriages. When she finally managed to give birth to her baby, whom she named Angioletto, he was suffering from constant fevers for which no one could explain. One morning the woman found an image on the ground in front of the house with a young saint depicted, it was San Gerardo Maiella, a saint not venerated in the surrounding area. Everyone wondered how that image could have ended up in those remote countryside. Mrs. Menica then decided to make a vow, praying to that young saint to heal her health and that of her little son. Soon the miracle happened. The woman, who belonged to a humble family, began to raise funds in Piedimonte Etneo and the surrounding towns in order to build a church in honor of the Saint. In a short time, news of the miracle spread and, in 1928, the first place of worship was erected in honor of San Gerardo.
On that occasion, the name of the village, previously known by the name Millicucco, was also changed to Saint Gerard. Millicucco is a Sicilian term used to indicate the Etna hackberry, a robust and woody tree. In the hamlet of San Gerardo there was in fact a large Millicucco tree, unfortunately felled by a storm in the 1950s.

Share on