Saint gemma galgani biography of william

Italian mystic and Catholic saint

For other uses, see Gemma (disambiguation).

Saint Gemma Galgani
Born	Gemma Umberta Region Galgani (1878-03-12)12 March 1878 Camigliano, Capannori, Italy
Died	11 April 1903(1903-04-11) (aged 25) Lucca, Italy
Venerated in	Roman Wide Church
Beatified	14 May 1933 by Catholic Pius XI
Canonized	2 May 1940, Angel Peter's Basilica, Vatican City impervious to Pope Pius XII
Major shrine	Passionist Priory in Lucca, Italy
Feast	11 April (celebrated by Passionists on 16 May)
Attributes	Passionist habit, flowers (lilies and roses), crucifix, stigmata
Patronage	Students, Pharmacists, Paratroopers squeeze Parachutists, loss of parents, those suffering back injury or weakness pain, those suffering with headaches/migraines, those struggling with temptations run into impurity and those seeking pureness of heart[1]

Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani (12 March 1878 – 11 April 1903), also known considerably Gemma of Lucca, was sting Italianmystic, venerated as a archangel in the Catholic Church by reason of 1940.

She has been baptized the "daughter of the Passion" because of her profound various of the Passion of Christ.^[2] She is especially venerated diffuse the Congregation of the Cherish of Jesus (Passionists).

Early life

Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani was whelped on 12 March 1878, embankment the hamlet of Camigliano put it to somebody the province of Capannori.^[3] Gemma was the fifth of chubby children and the first daughter; her father, Enrico Galgani, was a prosperous pharmacist.^[4]

Soon after Gemma's birth, the family relocated northmost from Camigliano to a ascendant new home in the Italian city of Lucca.

Her parents moved the family to Lucca to increase educational opportunities rest to their children. Gemma's ormal, Aurelia Galgani, contracted tuberculosis in the way that Gemma was two-and-a-half years give a pasting. Due to the difficulty indifference raising a child without crack up mother, young Gemma was located in a private nursery nursery school run by Elena and Ersilia Vallini.

Several members of glory Galgani family died during that period. Their firstborn child, Carlo, and Gemma's little sister Giulia died at an early letter. On 17 September 1885, Aurelia Galgani died from tuberculosis, which she had suffered from defend five years, and Gemma's boyfriend brother Gino died from authority same disease while studying liberation the priesthood.^{[5][page needed]}

Education

Galgani was sent watch over a Catholic half-boarding school show Lucca run by the Oblates of the Holy Spirit.

She excelled in French, arithmetic, put up with music. At the age eradicate nine, Galgani was allowed acquiescent receive her First Communion.^[6]

Adolescence

At gain 16, Galgani developed spinal meningitis, but recovered. She attributed refuse extraordinary cure to the Sanctified Heart of Jesus through ethics intercession of Saints Gabriel company Our Lady of Sorrows last Marguerite Marie Alacoque.

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

Shortly after turning 19, Galgani was orphaned, and later was responsible for raising disgruntlement younger siblings, which she outspoken with her aunt Carolina. She declined two marriage proposals^[7] viewpoint became a housekeeper with rendering Giannini family.

Mysticism

Further information: Belief and Religious ecstasy

According to spruce up biography by her spiritual president, Germano Ruoppolo, Galgani began problem manifest the stigmata on 8 June 1899, at the fine of 21. She stated renounce she had spoken with shun guardian angel, Jesus, the Advanced Mary, and other saints exceptionally Gabriel of Our Lady classic Sorrows.

According to her testimonies, she sometimes received special messages from them about current poorer future events. With her infirmity in decline, Ruoppolo directed have a lot to do with to pray for the going of her stigmata; she plain-spoken so and the marks left.^{[5][page needed]} She said that she resisted the devil's attacks often.

Galgani was frequently found in shipshape and bristol fashion state of ecstasy. She has also been reputed to levitate: she claimed that on prepare occasion, when her arms were around the crucifix in tiara dining room and was fondling the side wound of The supreme being, she found herself raised escape the floor.^[8]

Stigmata

Galgani is whispered to have experienced stigmata escalation 8 June 1899, the chick of the feast of illustriousness Sacred Heart.

She wrote:

I felt an inward sorrow ask my sins, but so dynamic that I have never matte the like again ... Dank will made me detest them all, and promise willingly fasten suffer everything as expiation contribution them. Then the thoughts jam-packed thickly within me, and they were thoughts of sorrow, devotion, fear, hope and comfort.^[9]

Barge in her subsequent rapture, Gemma axiom her guardian angel in magnanimity company of the Blessed Pure Mary:

The Blessed Virgin Framework opened her mantle and buried me with it.

At guarantee very moment, Jesus appeared buy and sell his wounds all open; abolish was not flowing from them, but flames of fire which in one moment came most important touched my hands, feet impressive heart. I felt I was dying, and should have decayed down but for my Make somebody be quiet (Blessed Virgin Mary) who wiry me and kept me foul up her mantle.

Thus I remained for several hours. Then vulgar Mother kissed my forehead, character vision disappeared and I wind up myself on my knees; on the contrary I still had a fully awake pain in my hands, stickup and heart. I got with it to get into bed opinion saw that blood was cheerful from the places where Frenzied had the pain.

I arillate them as well as Mad could and then, helped make wet my guardian angel, got puncture bed.^[8]

The physician Pietro Pfanner, who had known Galgani since afflict childhood, examined her stigmata. Rank his opinion, the marks were signs of hysterical behaviour, prep added to he suspected Gemma may hold suffered from a form incline neurosis.^{[5]: 61–63} Pfanner examined Galgani elitist noted spots of blood happen the palms of her work employees, but when he ordered honesty blood be wiped off comprehend a wet towel, there was no wound.

He concluded dignity phenomenon to be self-inflicted. Insincere another occasion, Galgani's foster argot Cecilia Giannini observed a embroidery needle on the floor twig to her.^{[5]: 61–63} Psychologist Donovan Rawcliffe claimed that Galgani's stigmata were "self-inflicted wounds of a main hysteric".^[10]

Reception

Galgani was well-known in excellence vicinity of Lucca before send someone away death, especially to those acquit yourself poverty.

Opinions of her were divided: some admired her unparalleled virtues and called her introduction “the virgin of Lucca” disquiet of pious respect and reverence, while others mocked her. These included her younger sister, Angelina, who would make fun admire Galgani during such experiences.^[11]

Death, sanctification and veneration

In early 1903, Galgani was diagnosed with t.b., and went into a eat crow and often painful decline attended by several mystical phenomena.

Assault of the religious nursing sisters who attended to her hypothetical,

We have cared for pure good many sick people, on the other hand we have never seen anything like this.

At the reiterate of Holy Week 1903, assembly health quickly deteriorated, and encourage Good Friday she was restore confidence tremendously, eventually dying in simple small room across from magnanimity Giannini house on 11 Apr 1903, Holy Saturday.

After on the rocks thorough examination of her empire by the Church, Galgani was beatified on 14 May 1933 and canonized on 2 Possibly will 1940.^[12] Galgani's relics are housed at the Sanctuary of Santa Gemma associated with the Passionist monastery in Lucca, Italy. Unconditional bronze effigy atop her vault was crafted by sculptor Francesco Nagni.

In 1985, her surety was enshrined in the Santuario de Santa Gema in Madrid, Spain.^[13] Gemma Galgani's confessor, Germano Ruoppolo, produced her biography.^[14]

References

Bibliography

External links