BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

had been commanded to do so by St. Gabriel, . who, according to the account she gave in a letter to Father
Germanus, had appeared to her eight days before the beginning of this mission. , Go to confession to the
missioner,' the Saint had said to her, ' and tell him all you have hidden from your confessor until now; tell him
also that you want to be a nun, but a nun living under a very severe rule of life.' These words only recalled to
her mind what Jesus had already said to her when she was in the Visitation Convent: 'My child, a more
austere rule is necessary for you.'
At the end of Gemma's account of her life, Father Gaetano told her about the Passionist nuns. She was
delighted. The existence of this Congregation threw light on many things. She now began to understand the
meaning of the attitude of St. Gabriel, of the way he addressed her when he came to her during her serious
illness. Besides, during the mission Jesus Himself had asked her, as we have already stated, whether she
liked the habit the missioners wore, and had then told her that she would be a child of His Passion.
From that time all Gemma's thoughts of being a nun were directed towards the Congregation founded by St.
Paul of the Cross. This she admitted in a letter, part of which has been quoted already: , From that moment,'
she wrote, ' I could not help thinking of those words (that there was a Congregation of Passionist nuns) and
of becoming one of them. I told my confessor. He was pleased and said that a very rigorous rule was what I
needed. After this I had a great devotion to Confrater Gabriel. I began to pray to him and still pray to him that
he may obtain for me the grace of becoming a nun soon.'
This angelic friendship between St. Gabriel and Blessed Gemma grew closer every day, and it must be said
that she began her life as a Passionist with him who called her his sister. According to the testimony of her
Aunt Elisa she wore over her heart the emblem of the Passion which the followers of St. Paul of the Cross
wear externally upon their habits. In her daily life she followed as far as she was able the horarium used by
the Passionist nuns. For instance, she rose at midnight to say the Divine Office. 'Gemma confided to me,'
said her friend, Palmira Valentini, in a deposition in the Processes, , that she had begun to say every day the
Divine Office as said by the Passionists.' 'In order to prepare for the time when she would be a Passionist
nun,' continues Palmira Valentini, 'and from a spirit of penance she went without stockings for a year even in
winter.' At this time Cecilia Giannini used to accompany Gemma home every evening and on one occasion it
was snowing and was very cold. There was also a high wind blowing and Cecilia Giannini was astonished to
see in a violent gust that Gemma was wearing no stockings. She reprimanded her and afterwards told
Monsignor Volpi, and from then on Gemma always wore stockings.
LIKE UNTO ST. ROSE OF VITERBO
If we are to believe the evidence of Elisa Galgani, and her evidence was confirmed in substance at least by
several other witnesses, Gemma did not lose time in making formal application to be admitted into the
Passionist Convent at Corneto (to-day called Tarquinia). But the answer was more than a mere refusal. It
was couched in sharp and humili-ating terms. Perhaps the nuns were aware of the serious illness she had
had, and of the fact that there was consumption in her family. Gemma, however, was not in the least
offended. She had asked for one favour and had obtained another, for she always looked upon humiliations
as most desirable gifts. But her family did not do so, and in consequence Gemma felt the refusal keenly.
Seeing her crying over it, her brother Anthony said: 'Do not be afraid! If you want to be a Saint you can be
one even outside a convent.' She asked him whether he was angry with the Mother Superior who had sent
the letter, adding: 'If she was in Purgatory and a prayer of mine could liberate her, I would willingly say it
there and then.' To her Aunt Elisa she spoke a few words which were indeed a prophecy : 'Listen, Aunt! Alive,
they do not want me, but after my death they will be glad to have me.' Many years previously, similar words
were uttered by another holy girl who knocked in vain at the gate of a convent in Viterbo. Today she is the
greatest glory of that convent and that city. It was the same with Blessed Gemma Galgani. In 1923, her holy
body was taken from the cemetery at Lucca and laid to rest in the little chapel attached to the Convent of the
Passionist nuns outside the Porta Elisa, where it is venerated as a most precious treasure. The children of
St. Paul of the Cross honor Blessed Gemma as their Rose of Viterbo.
LONGINGS TO ENTER A CONVENT
The rebuff from the Mother Superior of the Tarquinia Convent did but strengthen Gemma's determination to
become a Passionist. From this time on she seldom wrote a letter that did not contain some reference to this
intention. 'Oh, how shall I be able to remain in this world where everything is so wearisome to me ! . . . It is
still Gemma who writes; I am still in the world.' Again she pleaded: 'If you knew how unhappy I am in the
world! Help me to become a Passionist…. Put me away somewhere.'
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