Nearly all women hope for the safe delivery of the child in their womb. And some couples have difficulty conceiving a child, and earnestly pray that God may grant them this wonderful gift.
It’s helpful to know that the patron saint of safe and healthy deliveries is a man who himself was born in a most unusual way.
St. Raymond Nonnatus came into this world about the year 1200 in the rugged Spanish region of Segarra. For many years, Raymond’s parents waited for a child to come. Raymond’s mother made a pilgrimage to the St. Nicholas’ hermitage in the area with that intention.
She finally became pregnant. But near the end of her pregnancy, she became gravely ill and died. The life of Raymond, still in the womb, was saved by the Viscount of Cardona, who used his dagger to cut open the womb and lift Raymond out. This event earned Raymond the name “Nonnatus,” Latin for “not born.”