BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

His holy Mother, along with a feeling of distaste for everything life offered to youth, and that before that image
she had sworn to give herself entirely and forever to God ....
'Sandrina Maggi maintained relations with Gemma until her death, and she records with emotion her
beautiful gifts of mind and heart, in particular her desire to help the needy. . . . One evening when passing
along the Vado road, they met an old woman who asked an alms of them, saying that she was suffering from
the cold because she was insufficiently clad. As it happened that very morning Gemma had finished
renovating a heavy under-skirt which her aunt had given her. Seeing a sheltered doorway, she entered it and
taking off the under-skirt gave it to the old woman, saying: " Pray for me that the Lord may set me on fire with
His love." She was clever at everything a woman should know how to do. Sandrina Maggi possessed a well
worked out design for a coverlet Gemma had made, which was exhibited when her evidence was taken
during the Processes for the Beatification.' [Versa it Santuario, a monthly magazine, published at Camaiore,
1930]
ALL FOR JESUS AND HIM ALONE
After her father's death, however, Gemma disliked living at Camaiore. The crosses received again and again
from the hand of God had more and more detached her heart from the world, and had filled her with an
indescribable longing to raise herself as far above earth as she could and to unite herself with God. She did
not feel at home in a drapery shop, notwithstanding the affection and piety of her relatives. So she spent the
greater part of the day away from the shop. Furthermore, she was in a sad state of spiritual aridity, and felt in
great need of Monsignor Volpi's help. But he was far away in Lucca. What was she to do -go back home?
Gemma was neither tall nor thin-according to Sister Gesualda who knew her -but good-looking, attractive,
with fine features, big, luminous eyes, an enchanting smile, and a sweet expression. It is not to be wondered
at, therefore, that several. men should fall in love with her. Already at Lucca, when she was about sixteen
years of age, when her father was still alive, she was sought after officially by a young cavalry lieutenant.
Elisa Galgani tells the story:
‘I used to accompany Gemma to the College of the Zitine Sisters. One day Gemma said to me: "Come with
me always to the gate, because there "-she pointed to a corner of the street- "that silly fellow awaits my
coming and stares at me." One day when I was taking Gemma for a walk, I was stopped by a lieutenant
whom I recognized as the man whom she had called a" silly fellow." He said: " Signora, I wish to speak to
you." "Speak," I answered, " what do you want?" "I should like to become betrothed to that young girl who is
standing by. Please, I am serious. Is she your daughter?" To which I replied: "She is still but a child, and
besides she does not want to be married." The lieutenant stood frowning for a while and then exclaimed: " I
am very sorry. She appears to be such a good girl. And I am a respectable young man and come from a
good family. If you want to know about me I will tell you who I am and about my family, and where we live."
But Gemma came up to me hastily and said: "Let us go, let us go home." We went, as usual, to a church to
visit the Blessed Sacrament, and say our prayers. I noticed that for some time the lieutenant followed
Gemma. He contented himself, however, with passing the house and looking up at the windows, at which no
one appeared. When these things were known Gemma used to say to me: "I don't want any men around." ,
At Camaiore young man of distinguished family fell in love with Gemma, and came with his father to
interview her uncle. This turn of events appeared to be a providential means of retrieving the fortunes of her
family. But Gemma already had given her life to her Crucified Savior, and her desires were not those of
earth. It is easy to imagine the efforts that were made to change Gemma's mind, but none of them
succeeded in altering her determination to give no love a place in her heart save the love of Jesus.
There was another young man from Camaiore-a chemist-who wanted to marry Gemma. Let Alessandrina
Valsuani, a witness well known to the reader, tell this incident in her own words :
‘ . . . This man went so far as to ask me to tell Gemma that he loved her. When I scornfully refused to do
that.: he had the effrontery to write a letter to her and to make me be the bearer of it. Gemma, with an
expression of disgust and disapproval, said: " Look at that foolish fellow! Wait a moment, I will write a few
words to him and you can take the letter to him." But when I refused to take it she thought for a moment and
then said : " I shall go myself," and she tore up the letter. And, indeed, Gemma went with me to the garden of
a man named Ghivizzona, whose house was near to the chemist's shop and to our house. I told Ghivizzona
that Gemma wished to speak to a young man from the chemist's and that she would be obliged if he would
allow them to meet in his garden in his presence. Then leaving Gemma and Ghivizzona together, I went to
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