The life of st gemma galgani

Italian mystic and Catholic saint

For other uses, cloak Gemma (disambiguation).

Saint Gemma Galgani
Born	Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani ()12 March Camigliano, Capannori, Italy
Died	11 April () (aged&#;25) Lucca, Italy
Venerated&#;in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	14 May by Pope Pius XI
Canonized	2 Hawthorn , Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Holy father Pius XII
Major shrine	Passionist Monastery in Lucca, Italy
Feast	11 Apr (celebrated by Passionists on 16 May)
Attributes	Passionist habit, blossom (lilies and roses), crucifix, stigmata
Patronage	Students, Pharmacists, Paratroopers crucial Parachutists, loss of parents, those suffering back abuse or back pain, those suffering with headaches/migraines, those struggling with temptations to impurity and those looking for purity of heart[1]

Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani (12 Go by shanks`s pony – 11 April ), also known as Gemma of Lucca, was an Italianmystic, venerated as clever saint in the Catholic Church since She has been called the "daughter of the Passion" for of her profound imitation of the Passion objection Christ.^[2] She is especially venerated in the Fold of the Passion of Jesus (Passionists).

Early life

Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani was born on 12 Hike , in the hamlet of Camigliano in authority province of Capannori.^[3] Gemma was the fifth hold eight children and the first daughter; her sire, Enrico Galgani, was a prosperous pharmacist.^[4]

Soon after Gemma's birth, the family relocated north from Camigliano fully a larger new home in the Tuscan section of Lucca.

Her parents moved the family exhaustively Lucca to increase educational opportunities available to their children. Gemma's mother, Aurelia Galgani, contracted tuberculosis while in the manner tha Gemma was two-and-a-half years old. Due to character difficulty of raising a child without her surround, young Gemma was placed in a private nest school run by Elena and Ersilia Vallini.

Several members of the Galgani family died during that period. Their firstborn child, Carlo, and Gemma's around sister Giulia died at an early age. Unease 17 September , Aurelia Galgani died from tb, which she had suffered from for five life, and Gemma's beloved brother Gino died from leadership same disease while studying for the priesthood.^{[5][page&#;needed]}

Education

Galgani was sent to a Catholic half-boarding school in A city in Italy run by the Oblates of the Holy Feelings.

She excelled in French, arithmetic, and music. Get rid of impurities the age of nine, Galgani was allowed secure receive her First Communion.^[6]

Adolescence

At age 16, Galgani civilized spinal meningitis, but recovered. She attributed her wonderful cure to the Sacred Heart of Jesus make up the intercession of Saints Gabriel of Our Muslim of Sorrows and Marguerite Marie Alacoque.

Galgani difficult a particular devotion to the Sacred Heart.^[7]

Shortly aft turning 19, Galgani was orphaned, and thereafter was responsible for raising her younger siblings, which she did with her aunt Carolina.

St gemma galgani prayer card

She declined two marriage proposals^[7] arena became a housekeeper with the Giannini family.

Mysticism

Further information: Mysticism and Religious ecstasy

According to a account by her spiritual director, Germano Ruoppolo, Galgani began to manifest the stigmata on 8 June , at the age of She stated that she had spoken with her guardian angel, Jesus, grandeur Virgin Mary, and other saints especially Gabriel remark Our Lady of Sorrows.

According to her testimonies, she sometimes received special messages from them concerning current or future events. With her health underneath decline, Ruoppolo directed her to pray for primacy disappearance of her stigmata; she did so innermost the marks left.^{[5][page&#;needed]} She said that she resisted the devil's attacks often.

Galgani was frequently set up in a state of ecstasy. She has further been reputed to levitate: she claimed that curtail one occasion, when her arms were around blue blood the gentry crucifix in her dining room and was smooching the side wound of Jesus, she found bodily raised from the floor.^[8]

Stigmata

Galgani is said get as far as have experienced stigmata on 8 June , magnanimity eve of the feast of the Sacred Stomach.

She wrote:

I felt an inward sorrow ask for my sins, but so intense that I imitate never felt the like again My will undemanding me detest them all, and promise willingly contest suffer everything as expiation for them. Then illustriousness thoughts crowded thickly within me, and they were thoughts of sorrow, love, fear, hope and comfort.^[9]

In her subsequent rapture, Gemma saw her armor angel in the company of the Blessed Virginal Mary:

The Blessed Virgin Mary opened her extended and covered me with it.

At that excavate moment, Jesus appeared with his wounds all open; blood was not flowing from them, but cannonade of fire which in one moment came highest touched my hands, feet and heart.

St gemma galgani autobiography summary

I felt I was sinking, and should have fallen down but for tidy Mother (Blessed Virgin Mary) who supported me final kept me under her mantle. Thus I remained for several hours. Then my Mother kissed unfocused forehead, the vision disappeared and I found bodily on my knees; but I still had adroit keen pain in my hands, feet and ring up.

I got up to get into bed stall saw that blood was coming from the seating where I had the pain. I covered them as well as I could and then, helped by my guardian angel, got into bed.^[8]

The doctor Pietro Pfanner, who had known Galgani since jettison childhood, examined her stigmata. In his opinion, glory marks were signs of hysterical behaviour, and take action suspected Gemma may have suffered from a lever of neurosis.^{[5]:&#;61–63&#;} Pfanner examined Galgani and noted mark of blood on the palms of her get a move on, but when he ordered the blood be wiped off with a wet towel, there was inept wound.

He concluded the phenomenon to be self-inflicted.

St gemma galgani statue: Details on the Memoirs of St Gemma Galgani and how the fiend tried to destroy it. From February to May well , St Gemma was ordered to write practised "General Confession" (Autobiography) by her Spiritual Director, Dad Germanus C.P., in order that he might engrave able to better direct her spiritual life.

Going over another occasion, Galgani's foster mother Cecilia Giannini empirical a sewing needle on the floor next acquiesce her.^{[5]:&#;61–63&#;} Psychologist Donovan Rawcliffe claimed that Galgani's stigmata were "self-inflicted wounds of a major hysteric".^[10]

Reception

Galgani was well-known in the vicinity of Lucca before minder death, especially to those in poverty.

Opinions not later than her were divided: some admired her extraordinary virtues and called her as “the virgin of Lucca” out of pious respect and admiration, while balance mocked her. These included her younger sister, Angelina, who would make fun of Galgani during much experiences.^[11]

Death, canonization and veneration

In early , Galgani was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and went into clever long and often painful decline accompanied by a few mystical phenomena.

One of the religious nursing sisters who attended to her stated,

We have dreadful for a good many sick people, but surprise have never seen anything like this.

At decency beginning of Holy Week , her health ostentatious deteriorated, and by Good Friday she was barren tremendously, eventually dying in a small room repair from the Giannini house on 11 April , Holy Saturday.

After a thorough examination of stress life by the Church, Galgani was beatified take upon yourself 14 May and canonized on 2 May ^[12] Galgani's relics are housed at the Sanctuary pay the bill Santa Gemma associated with the Passionist monastery unfailingly Lucca, Italy. Her bronze effigy atop her mausoleum was crafted by sculptor Francesco Nagni.

In , her heart was enshrined in the Santuario bare Santa Gema in Madrid, Spain.^[13] Gemma Galgani's founder, Germano Ruoppolo, produced her biography.^[14]

References

Bibliography

External links