I am writing to you with great joy and with deepest gratitude to Our Lord. I write to inform you that I, together with Father Timothy P. Elliott, Founding Pastor of the Saint Gianna Catholic Church in Wentzville, Missouri, and Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla, MD, have established the Saint Gianna Beretta Molla and Pietro Molla Foundation, a North Dakota Non-Profit Corporation, with its seat in Fargo, North Dakota.

As is stated in Article III of the Bylaws, the Foundation exclusively pursues essential religious, educational and charitable purposes. It aims to honor and to perpetuate throughout the world the memory of Saint Gianna and of her saintly spouse Pietro, while, at the same time, to give testimony to the example of their lives and to impart knowledge of their spirituality.

Pope Saint John Paul II beatified Gianna Beretta Molla, M.D., in the Square of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on April 24, 1994, as "Mother of a Family", thirty-two years after she had died at the early age of 39. He proclaimed her "Saint" on May 16, 2004, in the most significant and moving presence of her husband, Pietro, who was almost 92, and their children: Pierluigi, Laura and Gianna Emanuela. He established her Feast Day on April 28.

Saint Gianna embraced the vocation of Holy Matrimony with great joy and enthusiasm. We also have much to learn from her very humble, holy spouse. In her married life, and even in her engagement, Saint Gianna recognized the holiness of her spouse, Pietro. She wrote to him about a week before their wedding: "...Dearest Pietro, I'm sure that you will always make me as happy as I am now and that the Lord will listen to your prayers, coming from a heart that has always loved Him and served Him in a saintly way. Pietro, how much I have to learn from you! You are such a fine example for me, and I thank you for it." Saint Gianna's words have an even greater meaning now that the Church has canonized her a Saint. The Foundation, in deepest devotion to Saint Gianna, is inspired to promote also the life and heroic virtues of Pietro.

It was the immense love in their marital union that enabled both of them to accept the sacrifices which the Lord was asking of them. It was Pietro who honored his wife and indeed made a total sacrifice of himself. It was Pietro who became both father and mother to his children for the longest time of 48 years, who suffered alone the greatest sorrow of losing also his daughter

Mariolina, at the tender age of six, only two years after his spouse's death, who pursued his work as a most respected engineer and industrial director, doing a lot of good for many workers. It was Pietro who most generously worked for the good of the Universal Church in sharing his beautiful, saintly spouse with the world. His holiness, virtues and deep humility were clearly seen in his long life.

After Pietro's death, on April 3, 2010, on Holy Saturday, at the age of almost 98, many people — Cardinals, Bishops, priests, consecrated persons, including cloistered nuns, and laity — , from different parts of the world, told Gianna Emanuela directly or wrote to her that the Lord had blessed her with two "saint parents", that Gianna and Pietro are two "saint spouses", and that they pray to them and ask for their intercession.

Gianna Emanuela is collecting many testimonies about her father's reputation as a holy man. A prayer for the private devotion to him has been prepared. The prayer as a private devotion to him is, in part, a response to the many people who have requested it because, in addition to wanting to pray to him, asking for his intercession, they also wish to participate in the work of promoting the glorification of this elect soul on the part of the Church. This prayer is in different languages and it has Ecclesiastical Approval.

Thus, the Saint Gianna and Pietro Molla Foundation has been established to honor properly, together with his saintly wife, this holy spouse, father and widower, honest and great worker, a humble servant whose heart was filled with gratitude, despite his intense sufferings and loss.

This exemplary and holy couple worked together for the good of each other, for their family, and for the good of the Church. The world today particularly needs Saint Gianna's and Pietro's beautiful example of marriage and family life, and the Foundation is honored to serve this mission, for the good of many souls and families.

Asking God to bless you, your home, and all your labors, and confiding your intentions to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse, of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla and of her saintly spouse, Pietro, I remain

Yours in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and in the Purest Heart of Saint Joseph,

Raymond Leo Cardinal BURKE

President of the Saint Gianna Beretta Molla and Pietro Molla Foundation,

A North Dakota Non-Profit Corporation

God the Father. 

I thank You and I praise You for having given us, in Your infinite Love and in Your boundless Mercy, together with a Saint Mother, "a saintly papa, not of gold, but of diamond, the biggest and most precious one there is on this earth!" (Saint Gianna).

Along with his long life, he witnessed to the Holy Gospel in an exemplary way, as a young person, as an engineer and a company executive, as a spouse, as a father and a widower for 48 years.

During this long time, he suffered from another huge sorrow, losing his daughter Mariolina at a tender age.

He always fulfilled and humbly accepted Your Holy Will, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of Saint Joseph, to whom he was so very devoted.  He gave witness to the sacred good of Life until his last breath.

Lord Jesus, 

with Your Grace and Your Blessing, with which You never cease to fill our hearts from Your glorious pierced Heart, and together with the Heavenly Mother, help us to have the same unshakable faith of Pietro, his great spirit of prayer, service and sacrifice, his sacred respect for every human person, his deep humility, piety and confidence in Your Divine Providence, his great love and charity towards neighbor, his steadfast and unconditional acceptance of Your Holy Will, even when it is difficult to accept. 

 I implore You to hear and answer Pietro's prayers, "coming from a heart that has always loved You and served You in a saintly way" (Saint Gianna), so that, through his intercession, I may receive this grace which I humbly ask of You........  and which I have at heart in a particular way, so that I may, one day, pray to him as a "saint", like his saintly wife.

Anyone who wishes to participate in the work of promoting the glorification of this elect soul on part of the Church or who wishes to report graces received through the invocation of his help, may write a letter to: