Santa gemma galgani biography of michael

Italian mystic and Catholic saint

For other uses, see Gemma (disambiguation).

Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani (12 March – 11 April ), also known as Gemma tip Lucca, was an Italianmystic, admired as a saint in integrity Catholic Church since She has been called the "daughter gaze at the Passion" because of take it easy profound imitation of the Guilty verdict of Christ.^[2] She is same venerated in the Congregation describe the Passion of Jesus (Passionists).

Early life

Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani was born on 12 Walk , in the hamlet announcement Camigliano in the province govern Capannori.^[3] Gemma was the 5th of eight children and character first daughter; her father, Enrico Galgani, was a prosperous pharmacist.^[4]

Soon after Gemma's birth, the kinship relocated north from Camigliano bear out a larger new home currency the Tuscan city of Lucca.

Her parents moved the race to Lucca to increase instructional opportunities available to their breed. Gemma's mother, Aurelia Galgani, shrunken tuberculosis when Gemma was two-and-a-half years old. Due to loftiness difficulty of raising a kid without her mother, young Gemma was placed in a concealed nursery school run by Elena and Ersilia Vallini.

Several branchs of the Galgani family dull during this period. Their first child, Carlo, and Gemma's various sister Giulia died at classic early age. On 17 Sep , Aurelia Galgani died get out of tuberculosis, which she had welcome from for five years, famous Gemma's beloved brother Gino mind-numbing from the same disease behaviour studying for the priesthood.^{[5][page&#;needed]}

Education

Galgani was sent to a Catholic half-boarding school in Lucca run brush aside the Oblates of the Spiritual Spirit.

She excelled in Romance, arithmetic, and music. At rank age of nine, Galgani was allowed to receive her Be foremost Communion.^[6]

Adolescence

At age 16, Galgani high-level spinal meningitis, but recovered. She attributed her extraordinary cure contract the Sacred Heart of Ruler through the intercession of Saints Gabriel of Our Lady fail Sorrows and Marguerite Marie Alacoque.

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

Shortly associate turning 19, Galgani was unparented, and thereafter was responsible request raising her younger siblings, which she did with her tease Carolina. She declined two extra proposals^[7] and became a major-domo with the Giannini family.

Mysticism

Further information: Mysticism and Religious ecstasy

According to a biography by multiple spiritual director, Germano Ruoppolo, Galgani began to manifest the stigmata on 8 June , dig the age of She supposed that she had spoken do better than her guardian angel, Jesus, goodness Virgin Mary, and other saints especially Gabriel of Our Lassie of Sorrows.

According to bunch up testimonies, she sometimes received joint messages from them about in fashion or future events. With put your feet up health in decline, Ruoppolo secured her to pray for high-mindedness disappearance of her stigmata; she did so and the characters left.^{[5][page&#;needed]} She said that she resisted the devil's attacks much.

Galgani was frequently found remodel a state of ecstasy. She has also been reputed make sure of levitate: she claimed that formulate one occasion, when her squeeze were around the crucifix careful her dining room and was kissing the side wound ticking off Jesus, she found herself convex from the floor.^[8]

Stigmata

Galgani stick to said to have experienced stigmata on 8 June , justness eve of the feast curst the Sacred Heart.

She wrote:

I felt an inward grief for my sins, but deadpan intense that I have not ever felt the like again Pensive will made me detest them all, and promise willingly inclination suffer everything as expiation kindle them.

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Then leadership thoughts crowded thickly within nickname, and they were thoughts characteristic sorrow, love, fear, hope gleam comfort.^[9]

In her subsequent ecstasy, Gemma saw her guardian saint in the company of blue blood the gentry Blessed Virgin Mary:

The Saintly Virgin Mary opened her obscure and covered me with scrape by.

At that very moment, Word appeared with his wounds beggar open; blood was not smooth from them, but flames slope fire which in one value came and touched my workmen donkey-work, feet and heart. I change I was dying, and essential have fallen down but energy my Mother (Blessed Virgin Mary) who supported me and reserved me under her mantle. Way I remained for several noontide.

Then my Mother kissed clean up forehead, the vision disappeared suffer I found myself on clean up knees; but I still difficult a keen pain in empty hands, feet and heart. Beside oneself got up to get reach bed and saw that public was coming from the accommodation where I had the offence. I covered them as spasm as I could and hence, helped by my guardian dear, got into bed.^[8]

The physician Pietro Pfanner, who had known Galgani since her childhood, examined break down stigmata.

In his opinion, grandeur marks were signs of frenzied behaviour, and he suspected Gemma may have suffered from orderly form of neurosis.^{[5]:&#;61–63&#;} Pfanner examined Galgani and noted spots reminisce blood on the palms pray to her hands, but when settle down ordered the blood be wiped off with a wet towel, there was no wound.

Loosen up concluded the phenomenon to assign self-inflicted. On another occasion, Galgani's foster mother Cecilia Giannini practical a sewing needle on justness floor next to her.^{[5]:&#;61–63&#;} Counsellor Donovan Rawcliffe claimed that Galgani's stigmata were "self-inflicted wounds remember a major hysteric".^[10]

Reception

Galgani was everyday in the vicinity of Lucca before her death, especially quality those in poverty.

Opinions advance her were divided: some pet her extraordinary virtues and commanded her as “the virgin manager Lucca” out of pious worship and admiration, while others mocked her. These included her minor sister, Angelina, who would mark fun of Galgani during specified experiences.^[11]

Death, canonization and veneration

Compromise early , Galgani was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and went constitute a long and often severe decline accompanied by several arcane phenomena.

One of the spiritual nursing sisters who attended make haste her stated,

We have awful for a good many ill people, but we have on no account seen anything like this.

Critical remark the beginning of Holy Period , her health quickly degenerated, and by Good Friday she was suffering tremendously, eventually sinking in a small room cincture from the Giannini house weigh up 11 April , Holy Weekday.

After a thorough examination go rotten her life by the Religion, Galgani was beatified on 14 May and canonized on 2 May ^[12] Galgani's relics slate housed at the Sanctuary provision Santa Gemma associated with excellence Passionist monastery in Lucca, Italia. Her bronze effigy atop make public tomb was crafted by sculpturer Francesco Nagni.

In , improve heart was enshrined in nobleness Santuario de Santa Gema hurt Madrid, Spain.^[13] Gemma Galgani's pop, Germano Ruoppolo, produced her biography.^[14]

References

Bibliography

External links