In November the founder of the St. Gianna Physician’s Guild, Thomas McKenna, traveled to Italy to meet with the family of St. Gianna in the saint’s home town of Mesero. He also traveled to Rome to meet with Vatican officials and others to discuss the work of the Guild. While in Rome he had a unique opportunity to meet the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, and present him with a copy of the book he wrote on the life of St. Gianna.

The weeklong trip began in Milan where Mr. McKenna met Archbishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura and the Guild’s Episcopal advisor, who flew in from Rome for the visit. A program had been previously arranged with the family to meet at the family’s home in Mesero on Sunday, November 16 where Archbishop Burke would celebrate Mass for the husband of St. Gianna, Pietro, who is unable to leave his home due to his advancing age.

On the way to Mesero they stopped in the town of Magenta where St. Gianna was born and lived most of her life. Local devotees took them to visit the church where St. Gianna attended Mass for much of her life until she married. The church is a few blocks from the Basilica of St. Martin where St. Gianna was baptized and married. It is smaller and used for Masses during the week. St. Gianna spent many hours there in prayer. The Archbishop and Mr. McKenna were given a tour of the church and shown the pew where St. Gianna usually sat with her sister to attend Mass.

After leaving the church the two visited the home where St. St. Gianna was born which is a few blocks from the church. St. Gianna’s sister-in-law lives in the home and had invited them for tea. It was in the garden of this house that St. Gianna and Pietro held their wedding reception. There they also met a niece of St. Gianna and a great nephew..

From there they went a few miles to Mesero to the family home of the Molla’s. There Archbishop Burke celebrated Mass in Pietro’s bedroom with all his children and St. Gianna’s sister, Mother Virgina, present. “It was very moving and inspiring to see Pietro’s effort to accompany the Mass in his advanced age” said Mr. McKenna. “He is a  very devout man”, he continued. At the end of Mass Archbishop Burke was asked to lead everyone in reciting in English the prayer he had written invoking St. Gianna’s intercession.

Following Mass the family hosted a luncheon for the visitors. It gave Archbishop Burke and Mr. McKenna a unique opportunity to visit at length with the family. They told many stories about their saintly mother and their family. They had the opportunity to update the family on the progress of the Guild in the United States and its recent activities. Mr. McKenna presented each family member with a beautiful lapel pin the Guild had recently ordered for doctors to wear on the coats. Upon receiving them all the family members immediately pinned them on and were very excited with this novel way to promote devotion to their mother. Before leaving for Rome that evening Archbishop Burke and Mr. McKenna were given a tour of the church that serves as a shrine to St. Gianna.
Mr. McKenna then spent several days in Rome meeting with Vatican officials and others discussing the work of the Guild. He was well received and asked to keep them up to date on activities and events for possible future collaboration. Mr. McKenna also had the opportunity to meet with Archbishop Burke to discuss future plans for the Guild.

The highlight of the trip was when Mr. McKenna attended a papal audience. Following the general audience Mr. McKenna was presented with the opportunity to personally greet the Holy Father and tell him about the founding of the Guild. He presented a copy of his recently published book on the life of St. Gianna to the Pope.

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