As I have said in past Blogs, it never ceases to amaze me how the saints influence each other even while here on earth. Our next modern missionary is not only the brother of another canonized saint- GIANNA MOLLA- but also influenced our previous Venerable, Marcello Candia.
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| St. Gianna Molla |
VENERABLE ALBERTO BERETTA was born in 1916 in Milan
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In December 24,1981, after 33 years in Brazil
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| Day of First Mass - 1948 |
At the age of 29, while practicing as a doctor and surgeon, he began to study theology by attending his first two years in Freiburg Switzerland church of San Bernardino in Milan
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| Graduation Day- 1942 |
On March 12, 1949, he left for Brazil
Because Brazil 's standards did not include recognition of the academic titles obtained in Italy
In 1950, with the help of his brothers who lived in Italy , especially Monsignor Giuseppe the Engineer, he began the construction of the St. Francis of Assisi Hospital
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| Vila San Marino |
Friar Alberto also created Vila San Marino, for the proper treatment of people with leprosy, extremely numerous in the region at that time, and where he made a point of going every day, devoting himself to the sick, as a doctor and as a priest. In this village he tests a practice he learned from a Russian doctor, who teaches him a revolutionary technique even today: the use of the human placenta to treat the most complex pathologies using stem cells.
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| Doing therapy |
The Hospital soon becomes a reference throughout the state of Maranhão. His techniques, especially the placental treatment, diligent and carefully treated with an autoclave made especially for sterilization, are known throughout Brazil Grajaú received patients with various pathologies from the most distant regions of Brazil
His final vows into his order was long in coming but In August 1964 he was consecrated inot the Capucian Order. In the intervening years he labored among the people giving himself with the fervor of a neophyte and a saint to alleviate the suffering of the poor who could not reward him. At that time, many Grajauenses who needed medical care, had no resources and were simply left to their own devices. He was at the same time an obstetrician, pediatrician, geriatrician, surgeon, ophthalmologist, general practitioner and many other specialties. With Friar Alberto, a patient was never left unattended, no matter what his problem. This caused crowds from all nearby communities to seek the hospital, turning the place into a sanctuary of hope and charity.
In December 24,1981, after 33 years in In June 2008, at the Curia in Bergamo , Italy
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| Ordination Day (ST. Gianna 2nd left) |
Present at the opening ceremony of the beatification process were present his brothers, Monsignor Giuseppe and Sister Virginia, some nephews and other relatives.