14/10/2025
βοΈ On this day, the Catholic Church remembers Blessed Gerard (c. 1040β1120), founder and first Grand Master of the Order of St. John and Order of Sagrada Orden.
Born in Scala, Italy, he went to Jerusalem in the 11th century to care for pilgrims and the sick at the Abbey of St. Mary Latin. Legend says that during the Siege of Jerusalem in 1099, bread he offered Crusaders miraculously turned to stones when he was arrested.
The Blessed Gerard transformed his hospital into a religious order dedicated to St. John the Baptist. On 15 February 1113, Pope Paschal II officially recognised the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, which soon spread across Europe.
His legacy is celebrated at St Johnβs Co-Cathedral in Valletta, immortalised in Mattia Pretiβs paintings, including πβπ π΅πππ π ππ πΊπππππ πππππππ π‘π π‘βπ ππππ and πβπ ππππ πππ π‘βπ π΅πππ π ππ πΊπππππ πππ π‘βπ πππππππ ππ π‘βπ πΏπππ£ππ .
He died on 3 September 1120 in Jerusalem, and his feast day is celebrated on the 13th of October.
π²πΉ βοΈ Fβdan il-jum, il-Knisja Kattolika tfakkar lil il-Beatu Girard (c. 1040 - 1120), fundatur u l-ewwel gran mastru tal-Ordni taβ San Δ wann.
Imwieled fβScala, fl-Italja, mar Δ erusalem fis-seklu 11 biex jieΔ§u Δ§sieb il-pellegrini u l-morda Δ‘ewwa l-Abbazzija taβ Santa Marija Latina. Skont il-leΔ‘Δ‘enda, waqt l-Assedju taβ Δ ersualem fl-1099, il-Δ§obΕΌ li offra lis-suldati tal-KruΔjati nbidel fβΔ‘ebel meta Δ‘ie arrestat.
Il-Beatu Girard biddel l-isptar tiegΔ§u fβordni reliΔ‘juΕΌa ddedikata lil San Δ wann Battista. Fil-15 taβ Frar 1113, il-Papa Paschal II uffiΔjalment irrikonoxxa lil dan l-Ordni Ospitalier, li malajr xterdu madwar l-Ewropa.
Il-wirt tiegΔ§u jiΔ‘i ΔΔelebrat fil-Konkatidral taβ San Δ wann, fejn huwa immortalizzat fil-pitturi taβ Mattia Preti, fosthomππ-π΅πππ‘π’ πΊππππππ’ ππ πππ£π ππππ-πππππ u π-π΅πππ‘π’ πΊππππππ’ π’ π-πππππππ’ π‘ππ-Δ§πππ§Μ.