BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

Antipreparatory Congregation on the miracles mentioned was held. On October 25, 1932, the Preparatory
Congregation, and on January 31, 1933, the General Congregation, took place. On the following Sunday,
February 5, to the universal joy of the Catholic world, the Sovereign Pontiff Pius XI promulgated the Decree
approving of the two miracles, namely, the instantaneous and perfect cure of Maria Menicucci, fifty years of
age, who suffered from traumatic arthro-synovitis of the right knee, and the instantaneous and perfect cure of
Father Ulysses Fabrizi, seventy-six years of age, who suffered from a serious varicose wound in the right
tibia.
THE MIRACLES
Maria Menicucci of Vitorchiano related, in 1924, the history of her illness thus: ' It was in 1884 when I was
about thirty-five years old that I began to experience slight pain and a feeling of heaviness in my right knee.
At the same time I had difficulty in walking and developed a limp. These troubles grew worse the more I
walked; at the same time I noticed that my knee had swollen. Gradually this swelling became more
noticeable. The flesh above the knee was of normal color, but when I sometimes touched it, I felt pain in
other places although I do not now remember where. The pain ceased when I was lying down, but increased
when the knee was moved. Any movement of the knee was painful, and there was besides a certain rigidity
in the knee itself. I noticed also a crackling sound in the knee when I moved it. These troubles were greater
towards evening after I had used the knee, and appeared less in the morning after the night's repose.'
Notwithstanding the sufferings she endured Maria Menicucci did not visit a doctor or take any remedies until
1900. The trouble therefore progressed steadily and she had frequent falls. In 1906 things had come to such
a pass that she could no longer rest upon that joint and the knee appeared to be swollen and the foot
twisted. It was then that another fall compelled her to go to Doctor Corseri of Vitorchiano, who gave the
following account of this visit: ' I attest that the knee was swollen and painful to the touch. It was clearly
established that there was a moderate quantity of fluid in the articular cavity. The movements of the joint
were impeded and painful, and the patient could not rest the foot upon the ground.' He therefore declared
that she was suffering from traumatic arthrosynovitis of the right knee. Two other doctors who saw Maria
Menicucci agreed with this diagnosis.
The trouble, however, continued its course. , The symptoms in the knee,' attested the patient, ‘became
gradually worse, for whether I was walking or standing resting on a stick my foot might at any moment twist
and cause me to fall, and these falls made the knee worse. The doctor came to visit me several times and
confirmed his diagnosis of synovitis. He sometimes added that it would be necessary to resect the knee-cap
or even to amputate the leg above the knee.' The doctor naturally suggested the remedies that were most
likely to be efficacious, but when tried they bore no fruit. He himself admitted this. 'The most efficacious
therapeutic applications used in similar circumstances,' he said, 'had no result in this case after five months'
treatment; the pain and the serious alteration in the functioning of the knee still persisted.'
This was the state of affairs when in 1907 Maria Menicucci had to go to Pistoia for a few months. But here
things became worse than ever. Her falls were more frequent, the swelling increased in size and walking
became more difficult. From Pistoia she went to Lucca with a relative who was entering the Passionist
Convent there. The Mother Superior gave her a relic of Gemma Galgani and exhorted her to recommend
herself with confidence to her inter-cession. Maria applied the relic to her knee and began a triduum to the
Servant of God, but without result. On her return to Pistoia she began a novena, keeping the relic applied to
her knee all the time. There was no change in her condition until the last day of the novena, when on her
return from Mass she felt that she was cured. Her knee which had been swollen in the morning was found to
be its normal size; all the pain and inconvenience had disappeared, and from that day there has been no
return of her trouble. Her cure was therefore instantaneous, complete and lasting. The doctors expressed
their great astonishment, and the experts deputed by the Sacred Congregation of Rites to enquire into the
facts declared : 'The cure of the right knee of Signorina Maria Menicucci is outside the limits of a natural fact.'
The second miracle was worked in favour of a priest named Ulysses Fabrizi, of Canepina, who resided at
Capraola in the diocese of Civita Castellana. On October 18, 1919, Father Fabrizi, who was then seventy-six
years of age, knocked his right shin against a chair in his house, and suffered a slight abrasion from which
blood flowed. Shortly after he began to feel his foot paining him and applied some remedies. At the end of a
week, far from healing, the abrasion seemed to have developed into a wound so that he was advised to go to
the doctor. However, he did not go, but for twelve days had recourse to remedies suggested by the Sisters at
the Hospital. At the end of this time, seeing that there was no improvement, he took the advice of the Sisters
and went to Ronciglione to see a doctor. However, although the doctor's prescriptions were faithfully carried
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