St
Gemma Galgani 19th Century
Born 1878
Died
1903
Feastday Unknown
Daughter of a poor pharmacist; mother died when she was seven, her father when she was eighteen, and she took care of her seven brothers and sisters. Laywoman. Cured in her 20's of spinal tuberculosis by prayer to Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. Rejected by the orders to which she applied who would not believe her cure, she became a Passionist tertiary. Stigmatist, receiving the wounds on her hands and feet each Thursday evening through Friday afternoon starting in June 1899 and continuing into 1901. Visionary; she saw her guardian angel daily, and visits from the devil who tempted her to spit on the cross and break a rosary. Her canonization faced stiff opposition by those who either disbelieved or wished to avoid attention to her visions and stigmata. 1
1.
Taken from the Patron Saints Index at http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintg04.htm
St Gemma Receives the Stigmata 1
On the 8th of June 1899, after receiving communion, Our Lord let His servant know that the same evening He would give her a very great grace. Gemma went home and prayed. She went into ecstasy and felt a great remorse for sin. The Blessed Mother, whom St. Gemma was tremendously devoted, appeared to her and spoke: “My son Jesus loves thee beyond measure and wishes to give thee a grace. I will be a mother to thee. Wilt thou be a true child?” The Most Blessed Virgin then opened her mantle and covered Gemma in it.
Here is how St. Gemma relates how she received the stigmata: “At that moment Jesus appeared with all his wounds open, but from these wounds there no longer came forth blood, but flames of fire. In an instant these flames came to touch my hands, my feet and my heart. I felt as if I were dying, and should have fallen to the ground had not my mother held me up, while all the time I remained beneath her mantle. I had to remain several hours in that position. Finally she kissed my forehead, all vanished, and I found myself kneeling. But I still felt great pain in my hands, feet and heart. I rose to go to bed, and became aware that blood was flowing from those parts where I felt pain. I covered them as well as I could, and then helped by my Angel, I was able to go to bed …”
Several people, including respected ecclesiastics of the Church, witnessed this miracle of the stigmata, which reoccurred throughout most of her remaining life. One eyewitness stated: “Blood came from her (St. Gemma’s) wounds in great abundance. When she was standing, it flowed to the ground, and when in bed it not only wet the sheets, but saturated the whole mattress. I measured some streams or pools of this blood, and they were from twenty to twenty-five inches long and about two inches wide.”
Like St. Francis of Assisi and recently Blessed Padre Pio, Gemma can too say: Nemo mihi molestus sit. Ego enim stigmata Domini Jesu in corpore meo porto: Let no man harm me, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body.
St Gemma’s
Devotion to her Guardian Angel 2
Gemma’s Guardian Angel would frequently appear to her. They would carry on a conversation the same way as if one were speaking to his best friend. Gemma’s purity and innocence must have drawn this Glorious Angel from Heaven to her side. Gemma and her Angel with his wings outstretched or kneeling beside her, would recite vocal prayers or Psalms alternately. When meditating on the Passion of Our Lord, her Angel would inspire her with the most sublime insights into this mystery. Her Guardian Angel once spoke to her regarding Christ’s Agonies: “Look at what Jesus has suffered for man. Consider one by one these Wounds. It is Love that has opened them all. See how execrable (horrible) sin is, since to expiate it, so much pain and so much love have been necessary.”
St Gemma’s Last
Illness and Heroic Death 3
In 1902 Gemma in good health since her miraculous cure, offered herself to God as a victim for the salvation of souls. Jesus accepted her offer. She then fell dangerously ill. She could not keep any food down. Though briefly recovering her health, through Divine Providence, she quickly fell sick again. On September 21, 1902 she began to throw up pure blood that came with the violent loving throbbings of her heart. Meanwhile she went through a spiritual martyrdom as she experienced aridity and no consolation in her spiritual exercises. To add to that her enemy the devil multiplied his attacks on the young “Virgin of Lucca.”
Satan redoubled his war on Gemma as he knew the end was near. He strove to persuade her that she was entirely abandoned by God. He used hellish apparitions and even reigned physical blows on her fragile body. An eyewitness who was nursing Gemma said: “That abominable beast will be the end of our dear Gemma- deafening blows, forms of ferocious animals, etc.- I came away from her with tears because the demon is wearing her out.” Gemma unceasingly called on the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, still the battle waged on. Her Spiritual Director Venerable Germanus regarding Gemma’s last struggle stated: “The poor sufferer passed days, weeks and months in this way, giving us an example of heroic patience and motives for salutary fear of what may happen to us, who have not Gemma’s merits at the terrible hour of death.” Yet through all these trials Gemma never complained, she only prayed. Gemma was at the end. She was practically a living skeleton but still beautiful despite the ravages of her sickness. She was administered Viaticum. In her last words she said: “I seek for nothing more; I have made the sacrifice of everything and of everyone to God; now I prepare to die.” She gasped, “Now it is indeed true that nothing more remains to me, Jesus. I recommend my poor soul to Thee … Jesus!” Gemma then smiled a heavenly smile and letting her head drop on one side, ceased to live. One of the sisters present at her death clothed Gemma’s body in the habit of the Passionists, which was the order to which Gemma had always aspired. This blessed death happened on Holy Saturday April 11th, 1903 when Gemma Galgani was in her 25th year.
References
1. St Gemma Galgini Homepage St Gemma Receives the Stigmata (www.stgemma.com/eng_stigmata.html)
2. St Gemma Galgini Homepage St Gemma’s Devotion to her Guardian Angel (www.stgemma.com/eng_angel.html)
3. St Gemma Galgini Homepage St Gemma’s Last Illness and Heroic Death (www.stgemma.com/eng_death.html)