Blessed Gerard was an Italian Benedictine lay brother who lived from approximately 1040 to 1120. Born in the Amalfi region, he eventually moved to Jerusalem, where he served as the rector of a local hospice around 1080. He is primarily recognized as the founder of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, also known as the Hospitallers. As the first Grand Master of this order, he oversaw the expansion of a hospital network that stretched across Italy.