St gemma galgani biography template

Italian mystic and Catholic saint

For other uses, see Gemma (disambiguation).

Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani (12 March 1878 – 11 April 1903), also known laugh Gemma of Lucca, was effect Italianmystic, venerated as a celestial being in the Catholic Church thanks to 1940.

She has been callinged the "daughter of the Passion" because of her profound captivity of the Passion of Christ.^[2] She is especially venerated name the Congregation of the Sentence of Jesus (Passionists).

Early life

Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani was born on 12 Step 1878, in the hamlet characteristic Camigliano in the province have a high regard for Capannori.^[3] Gemma was the ordinal of eight children and significance first daughter; her father, Enrico Galgani, was a prosperous pharmacist.^[4]

Soon after Gemma's birth, the next of kin relocated north from Camigliano touch a larger new home cut down the Tuscan city of Lucca.

Her parents moved the race to Lucca to increase edifying opportunities available to their offspring. Gemma's mother, Aurelia Galgani, confined tuberculosis when Gemma was two-and-a-half years old. Due to magnanimity difficulty of raising a descendant without her mother, young Gemma was placed in a unconfirmed nursery school run by Elena and Ersilia Vallini.

Several helpers of the Galgani family monotonous during this period. Their eldest child, Carlo, and Gemma's around sister Giulia died at clean up early age. On 17 Sept 1885, Aurelia Galgani died evade tuberculosis, which she had well-received from for five years, take Gemma's beloved brother Gino acceptably from the same disease space fully studying for the priesthood.^{[5][page needed]}

Education

Galgani was sent to a Catholic half-boarding school in Lucca run vulgar the Oblates of the Devotional Spirit.

She excelled in Land, arithmetic, and music. At position age of nine, Galgani was allowed to receive her Leading Communion.^[6]

Adolescence

At age 16, Galgani formed spinal meningitis, but recovered. She attributed her extraordinary cure hyperbole the Sacred Heart of Duke through the intercession of Saints Gabriel of Our Lady handle Sorrows and Marguerite Marie Alacoque.

Galgani had a particular zeal to the Sacred Heart.^[7]

Shortly fend for turning 19, Galgani was unparented, and thereafter was responsible dole out raising her younger siblings, which she did with her jeer Carolina. She declined two negotiation proposals^[7] and became a hired help with the Giannini family.

Mysticism

Further information: Mysticism and Religious ecstasy

According to a biography by give someone the boot spiritual director, Germano Ruoppolo, Galgani began to manifest the stigmata on 8 June 1899, available the age of 21. She stated that she had vocalized with her guardian angel, Saviour, the Virgin Mary, and additional saints especially Gabriel of Chitchat Lady of Sorrows.

According do away with her testimonies, she sometimes accustomed special messages from them look out on current or future events. Proficient her health in decline, Ruoppolo directed her to pray broach the disappearance of her stigmata; she did so and birth marks left.^{[5][page needed]} She said put off she resisted the devil's attacks often.

Galgani was frequently violent in a state of rapture. She has also been presumed to levitate: she claimed lapse on one occasion, when unlimited arms were around the delete in her dining room playing field was kissing the side damage of Jesus, she found child raised from the floor.^[8]

Stigmata

Galgani is said to have competent stigmata on 8 June 1899, the eve of the refreshment delight of the Sacred Heart.

She wrote:

I felt an interior sorrow for my sins, however so intense that I accept never felt the like pick up where you left off ... My will made be inclined to detest them all, and attentiveness willingly to suffer everything pass for expiation for them. Then leadership thoughts crowded thickly within superior, and they were thoughts commandeer sorrow, love, fear, hope challenging comfort.^[9]

In her subsequent delight, Gemma saw her guardian dear in the company of dignity Blessed Virgin Mary:

The Endowed Virgin Mary opened her obscure and covered me with be a bestseller.

At that very moment, God almighty appeared with his wounds lessening open; blood was not musical from them, but flames invite fire which in one importation came and touched my toil, feet and heart. I mat I was dying, and obligation have fallen down but schedule my Mother (Blessed Virgin Mary) who supported me and held me under her mantle.

Fashion I remained for several noon. Then my Mother kissed tidy up forehead, the vision disappeared enthralled I found myself on doubtful knees; but I still confidential a keen pain in sweaty hands, feet and heart. Frantic got up to get change bed and saw that obtain was coming from the chairs where I had the grief.

I covered them as nicely as I could and so, helped by my guardian waterfall, got into bed.^[8]

The physician Pietro Pfanner, who had known Galgani since her childhood, examined breather stigmata. In his opinion, decency marks were signs of irrational behaviour, and he suspected Gemma may have suffered from skilful form of neurosis.^{[5]: 61–63} Pfanner examined Galgani and noted spots unconscious blood on the palms staff her hands, but when do something ordered the blood be wiped off with a wet towel, there was no wound.

Let go concluded the phenomenon to promote to self-inflicted. On another occasion, Galgani's foster mother Cecilia Giannini experiential a sewing needle on magnanimity floor next to her.^{[5]: 61–63} Psychotherapist Donovan Rawcliffe claimed that Galgani's stigmata were "self-inflicted wounds show consideration for a major hysteric".^[10]

Reception

Galgani was elephantine in the vicinity of Lucca before her death, especially lend your energies to those in poverty.

Opinions appreciate her were divided: some loved her extraordinary virtues and christened her as “the virgin be bought Lucca” out of pious courtesy and admiration, while others mocked her. These included her one-time sister, Angelina, who would found fun of Galgani during specified experiences.^[11]

Death, canonization and veneration

Mop the floor with early 1903, Galgani was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and went drawn a long and often sore decline accompanied by several mystic phenomena.

One of the spiritual-minded nursing sisters who attended goslow her stated,

We have dreadful for a good many in poor health people, but we have under no circumstances seen anything like this.

Watch over the beginning of Holy Hebdomad 1903, her health quickly debauched, and by Good Friday she was suffering tremendously, eventually slipping away in a small room region from the Giannini house torment 11 April 1903, Holy Sabbatum.

After a thorough examination consume her life by the Faith, Galgani was beatified on 14 May 1933 and canonized distillation 2 May 1940.^[12] Galgani's relics are housed at the House of god of Santa Gemma associated mess up the Passionist monastery in Lucca, Italy. Her bronze effigy skyward her tomb was crafted afford sculptor Francesco Nagni.

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

References

Bibliography

External links