St. Gianna Molla’s story brings Season 3 of ‘Sister Justine’ podcast series to its finale

St. Gianna Beretta Molla, who urged doctors to save her unborn baby’s life even at the cost of her own, is the featured saint in the season finale of “Sister Justine’s Saint Tales,” the original audio play podcast series produced by the Diocese of Buffalo. This 10th and final episode of Season 3 is now available for free listening and downloading. (click here to access the full Sister Justine playlist).

The episode also carefully touches on the topic of abortion. In the episode, the students of Holy Family School are returning from a field trip when their bus travels into the site of a protest and counterprotest outside a local clinic where abortions are provided. Sister Justine, voiced by Melissa Cumming, explains to the students what abortion is, the Church’s opposition to it, but also adds that those who are remorseful about it may still find mercy. 

From there, Sister Justine tells the story of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, an Italian wife, mother and physician who was diagnosed with a fibroma while pregnant with her fourth child. When given her medical options, Dr. Molla insisted that her baby be saved, even at the risk of her own life. Molla died one week after delivering that baby in 1962. 

That baby, Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla, visited Western New York last year. An excerpt from her remarks at St. Mary Church in the Town of Holley last July, is included in this episode.

The program’s creator and producer, Michael Mroziak, a senior communication specialist for the diocese, encourages listener discretion given the sensitive nature of the episode, and encourages families to hear it together and share their own discussion.

“This episode was the most challenging to write. It was very important to emphasize that abortion is a sin, but that someone who has experienced it may still find healing and hope. Project Rachel is an example of this,” said Mroziak. “As Sister Justine explains to the kids in the episode, Jesus showed mercy to the condemned but repentant man being crucified next to Him.”

St. Gianna Molla was voiced in this episode by Mary Jo Casilio. Jeffrey Criden voiced her husband, Pietro Molla. Gracianna, Joy and Calvin voiced the students, and Gregory Tobin voiced the bus driver. Mroziak provided the voice of St. Gianna’s own doctor.

This episode was originally scheduled for release Jan.24, to coincide with the annual March for Life in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, the wintry weather which closed several facilities earlier in the week, including the Catholic Center, forced production to be delayed.

“While that was disappointing, it’s important to share St. Gianna’s legacy at any time,” Mroziak said.

Sister Justine’s Saint Tales was created in 2023 to present audio theatrical tales of saints, applying them to the situations the student characters face in each episode. The title character is inspired by the late Sister M. Justine Yanics OSF, who taught within the Diocese of Buffalo. She passed away in 1992.In addition to the diocese’s primary podcast platform, the Diocese of Buffalo Sound Hub on Soundcloud, episodes of Sister Justine’s Saint Tales and other diocesan-produced content may be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.