What does it mean to love with your whole life? In this moving five-part podcast series, we follow the true story of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla — a woman of deep faith, fierce compassion, and quiet heroism. A pediatrician, wife, mother, and saint, Gianna lived in 20th-century Italy but left a timeless legacy of sacrificial love.

From her early dreams of serving the poor abroad, to the joys and challenges of marriage and motherhood, to the final decision that would define her sanctity, each episode reveals a woman fully committed to her vocation — whether as a doctor in the clinic, a mother at home, or a daughter of the Church.

These episodes invite you to journey with Gianna through the ordinary and extraordinary moments of her life — and to witness how holiness is possible even in the heart of everyday choices.

Episode 1:

Mesero, Italy, 1951. In the outskirts of Milan, a young, idealistic doctor is looking for “it”: the one thing that will make her happier than any other thing on earth. She thinks she’s found it in her plans to serve the poor in Brazil. But her fragile health threatens to keep her at home. Torn between her family’s concern and her desire to serve others, what path will she follow? And where will it lead? This is the true story of Gianna Beretta Molla.

Episode 2:

Two years have passed since thirty-two year old Gianna set aside her plans for Brazil. While she loves her career as a doctor, everyone else is trying to find her a husband! But her single life may be about to change, when a quiet and elegant gentleman re-enters it unexpectedly. Is this the future she’s been longing for?

Episode 3:

Ponte di Magenta, Italy, 1958. Newly married Gianna Molla is a woman living out her calling. Married for three years, she and Pietro already have two children. With their busy domestic life, new responsibilities, her medical practice, and Pietro’s demanding job, what is God calling her to do? And how will she know?

Episode 4:

It’s 1961. At a gathering at their home in Milan, Pietro and Gianna share some wonderful news with their friends and family. But on a long-awaited holiday in the mountains of Courmayeur, Gianna discovers something worrisome, and fears it may threaten her growing family’s happiness.

Episode 5:

1962, Italy. Having rushed back to Milan from the mountains in pain, Gianna waits for news in her hospital bed, Pietro by her side. When her doctor returns to explain her diagnosis, Gianna is left with an impossible choice. What will she decide for herself and her baby?

Source: The Merry Beggars