BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

Gemma was indeed dead! The parish priest began to intone the De Profundis. This scattered the last
illusions, and everyone in the room burst out crying. But the Angels in Paradise must have sung a hymn of
glory. Once again the words of St. Paul the Apostle have been verified: 'If we suffer with Him, we shall also
be glorified with Him.'
Gemma's holy death took place on April 11, 1903. [For the whole of this chapter, see particularly No. XVIII of
the Summarium Proc. super virtutibus, and in the Processes the depositions of the persons mentioned.]
CHAPTER XXIV
THE APPROVAL OF HEAVEN -THE OPENING NOTES OF A SONG OF PRAISE AND VENERATION
After the first moments of sorrowful realization, Chevalier Giannini said to his children: 'Now that there is no
longer any danger to your health, go and give Gemma a kiss.' And they approached the holy girl and kissed
her. The younger children could not keep away from the room where she lay, and weeping they frequently
called her by name. Elisa Galgani recounted with emotion how the youngest boy, Gabriellino, climbed on to
the bed and strewed flowers over Gemma's body. These demonstrations of affection and reverence were, as
it were, the first notes of a canticle of recognition and devotion -a canticle that has increased in volume every
day since.
In the time that elapsed before her burial, there was a continuous stream of people of every age and every
social class, who came to venerate her holy remains. We use the word ' venerate' deliberately, for the news
had spread everywhere throughout Lucca that a saint was dead-the saint who lived at Gianninis'. No one felt
like praying for the repose of her soul, but thought rather of asking her intercession. Many declared that the
sight alone of her body did them spiritual good.
Her body was prepared for the grave by the Barbantine Sisters. It had been Gemma's wish that no other
eyes but theirs should look upon her and no other hands but theirs should touch her. She was clothed in a
dark-colored habit. A Crucifix was placed on her breast and over her heart the emblem which Passionists
wear on their habits-this being the suggestion of one who knew the intimate aspirations of her heart. A black
veil was put on her head and over it a crown of flowers, and around her neck the Rosary which had belonged
to her grandmother, and during the saying of which she had often been surprised by ecstasy. Her hands
were joined over her breast after the manner in which she used to hold them during her sublime raptures.
She looked angelic, with a smile playing, it seemed, around her lips. It was almost impossible to take one's
eyes off her, and one felt instinctively compelled to kneel down.
People brought objects of devotion in order to touch her body with them, and the flowers that had been in
contact with her brow were carried away as precious relics. There was an insistent request for things she
had used, pieces of clothing and such-like, and according to one of the Sisters, if demands for her hair had
not been refused she would have been left without a hair on her head.
.Among those who came to visit Gemma's holy remains were many priests. Don Laurence Agrimonti
declared that he felt like staying in that room the whole day praying, so spiritually minded it made him. The
priest to whom Gemma had sent her written general confession and who had comforted her, also came. He
went down on his knees and, in a voice full of emotion, cried out: ' Gemma, here at your feet is a great
sinner; pray to Jesus for me !' Other priests touched her body with their Rosaries, and one who arrived late
wanted to stop and pray in the room where she lay. 'How easy it is to pray here! ' he said. 'Blessed is she
who knew how to live like an angel and die like a saint ! ' A beautiful tribute this, in the mouth of a priest, to
one who had prayed and suffered so much for priests.
Towards evening on Easter Sunday, Gemma's body was placed in a wooden coffin in which was also
enclosed a sealed glass tube containing a parchment on which Canon Andreuccetti had written a short
account of her life. The honor of carrying these holy remains rests with Joseph, the eldest of the Giannini
family, another member of the Giannini household, and two Brothers.
A funeral, implying, as it does, great sorrow, does not harmonize well with the joy of Easter Day. However, all
those who took part in Gemma's funeral were convinced that it was anything but a sorrowful ceremony. Her
soul was already in Heaven enjoying the triumph of the Resurrection. She was buried in a special tomb and,
on a marble slab above it, the following was inscribed in Latin :
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