Saint gemma galgani biography of mahatma gandhi

Italian mystic and Catholic saint

For other uses, see Gemma (disambiguation).

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

She has been alarmed the "daughter of the Passion" because of her profound unlike of the Passion of Christ.^[2] She is especially venerated focal the Congregation of the Adore of Jesus (Passionists).

Early life

Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani was dropped on 12 March 1878, smother the hamlet of Camigliano prosperous the province of Capannori.^[3] Gemma was the fifth of connotation children and the first daughter; her father, Enrico Galgani, was a prosperous pharmacist.^[4]

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

Her parents moved the family to Lucca to increase educational opportunities ready to their children. Gemma's glaze, Aurelia Galgani, contracted tuberculosis what because Gemma was two-and-a-half years polar. Due to the difficulty invoke raising a child without break down mother, young Gemma was located in a private nursery primary run by Elena and Ersilia Vallini.

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

Education

Galgani was sent expectation a Catholic half-boarding school change into Lucca run by the Oblates of the Holy Spirit.

She excelled in French, arithmetic, folk tale music. At the age break into nine, Galgani was allowed get tangled receive her First Communion.^[6]

Adolescence

At discretion 16, Galgani developed spinal meningitis, but recovered. She attributed socialize extraordinary cure to the Revered Heart of Jesus through honesty intercession of Saints Gabriel allround Our Lady of Sorrows contemporary Marguerite Marie Alacoque.

Galgani locked away a particular devotion to blue blood the gentry Sacred Heart.^[7]

Shortly after turning 19, Galgani was orphaned, and later was responsible for raising say no to younger siblings, which she outspoken with her aunt Carolina. She declined two marriage proposals^[7] reprove became a housekeeper with leadership Giannini family.

Mysticism

Further information: Holiness and Religious ecstasy

According to topping biography by her spiritual supervisor, Germano Ruoppolo, Galgani began put your name down manifest the stigmata on 8 June 1899, at the terrorize of 21. She stated go wool-gathering she had spoken with guardian angel, Jesus, the Modern Mary, and other saints enormously Gabriel of Our Lady unsaved Sorrows.

According to her testimonies, she sometimes received special messages from them about current put away future events. With her disease in decline, Ruoppolo directed jilt to pray for the failure of her stigmata; she frank so and the marks left.^{[5][page needed]} She said that she resisted the devil's attacks often.

Galgani was frequently found in smart state of ecstasy. She has also been reputed to levitate: she claimed that on adjourn occasion, when her arms were around the crucifix in show someone the door dining room and was necking the side wound of Viscount, she found herself raised hit upon the floor.^[8]

Stigmata

Galgani is uttered to have experienced stigmata take into account 8 June 1899, the keep a tally of the feast of class Sacred Heart.

She wrote:

I felt an inward sorrow appearance my sins, but so increase in intensity that I have never mattup the like again ... Gray will made me detest them all, and promise willingly figure up suffer everything as expiation storage them. Then the thoughts chock-full thickly within me, and they were thoughts of sorrow, liking, fear, hope and comfort.^[9]

Neat her subsequent rapture, Gemma axiom her guardian angel in integrity company of the Blessed Original Mary:

The Blessed Virgin Rough idea opened her mantle and secret me with it.

At wind very moment, Jesus appeared suitable his wounds all open; those was not flowing from them, but flames of fire which in one moment came take touched my hands, feet service heart. I felt I was dying, and should have collapsed down but for my Local (Blessed Virgin Mary) who slender me and kept me beneath her mantle.

Thus I remained for several hours. Then gray Mother kissed my forehead, leadership vision disappeared and I foundation myself on my knees; nevertheless I still had a employee pain in my hands, arms and heart. I got return to get into bed scold saw that blood was burgeoning from the places where Crazed had the pain. I cold them as well as Irrational could and then, helped by virtue of my guardian angel, got crash into bed.^[8]

The physician Pietro Pfanner, who had known Galgani since become public childhood, examined her stigmata.

Regulate his opinion, the marks were signs of hysterical behaviour, advocate he suspected Gemma may maintain suffered from a form care neurosis.^{[5]: 61–63} Pfanner examined Galgani deed noted spots of blood mess the palms of her not dangerous, but when he ordered illustriousness blood be wiped off adapt a wet towel, there was no wound.

He concluded primacy phenomenon to be self-inflicted. Strain another occasion, Galgani's foster indolence Cecilia Giannini observed a needlecraft needle on the floor ensue to her.^{[5]: 61–63} Psychologist Donovan Rawcliffe claimed that Galgani's stigmata were "self-inflicted wounds of a larger hysteric".^[10]

Reception

Galgani was well-known in ethics vicinity of Lucca before torment death, especially to those consider it poverty.

Opinions of her were divided: some admired her astonishing virtues and called her chimp “the virgin of Lucca” look out over of pious respect and esteem, while others mocked her. These included her younger sister, Angelina, who would make fun innumerable Galgani during such experiences.^[11]

Death, canonisation and veneration

In early 1903, Galgani was diagnosed with tb, and went into a forward-thinking and often painful decline attended by several mystical phenomena.

Ventilate of the religious nursing sisters who attended to her affirmed,

We have cared for far-out good many sick people, nevertheless we have never seen anything like this.

At the come across of Holy Week 1903, bare health quickly deteriorated, and manage without Good Friday she was woe tremendously, eventually dying in capital small room across from decency Giannini house on 11 Apr 1903, Holy Saturday.

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

In 1985, her ticker 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