BIOGRAPHY of ST GEMMA GALGANI - Get a Free Blog

their souls and become better instruments of His Glory, also awakened in their hearts from their first meeting
an undying affection for one another. Cecilia Giannini as before mentioned experienced in Gemma's
presence a sense of spiritual well-being. ‘I prayed more,' she said. 'I was more recollected, and in trouble
and difficulties I was more at peace. She was generally silent, but when I asked her a question or mentioned
any of my trials, a word from her was enough to tranquillize me.' This was the reason why she wanted
Gemma near her. On her side Gemma wished to be with her friend and says so expressly in her
Autobiography: 'From then I loved her as if she were my mother-and I have always regarded her as such.'
It was not only Aunt Cecilia-she will be so called henceforth, for it was by that name she was known in the
Giannini household-who experienced a sense of spiritual well-being in Gemma's society. The other members
of the family felt her attraction. Signora Justina, the mother of this excellent family, desired Gemma to
become the friend of her grownup daughters, knowing that they would be safe in her company and would
also be edified by her virtue. She records with pleasure in the Processes the first time she saw Gemma
speaking to her eldest daughter Annetta.
These meetings were few, however, because in the beginning of July the family went to the country and did
not return until November. Aunt Cecilia remained at Lucca. Being alone she desired more than ever to have
Gemma with her, and with the consent of Gemma's aunts, she called for her every morning, and brought her
back home every evening. Sometimes Gemma stayed with her at night.
If Aunt Cecilia was pleased to have Gemma's company, Gemma was no less pleased to have hers, for she
was conscious of being in a congenial atmosphere where she was understood.
MISUNDERSTOOD BY HER OWN
The Galgani family was gradually growing smaller.
One brother had set out or was about to set out for America; another for military service. There were left
then, only Gemma, her two aunts, her brother Anthony and her two sisters. Death was soon to make other
gaps. However, in her own family Gemma was not understood and never could have been. She had
endeavored to keep secret the extraordinary things that were happening to her, not only because of her
humility and her innate repugnance at revealing them, but also because she had been warned not to do so,
by her confessor, her Guardian Angel, and even by Jesus Himself. But no matter how much she tried to hide
her affairs, they became known and were discussed outside the family. Gemma suffered in consequence.
She remembered the warnings of Jesus Who had said to her often that if she allowed these things to be
known in her family she would have to suffer. Besides there was one at home who, being unable to
understand these sublime things, used nevertheless to speak of them publicly. Gemma was spied upon
continually, laughed at and ridiculed, even outside the house.
What Gemma felt and to what a pass things had come is easily understood from a letter she wrote to her
confessor :
'. . . I am terrified. N. N. knows everything about me. This morning she was speaking about my affairs as if it
did not matter. She and my brother were making fun of them. I am not a bit afraid of their ridicule, you know.
From eleven o'clock this morning until three I have not been left alone. She says she wants to see
everything. She is like a little imp. Besides, my aunts look on and smile, so that I could almost cry. . . . She
has even brought her school companions to the house, saying to them, in order to make fun of me: "Let us
go and see Gemma in ecstasy." Yesterday she shouted out these words outside the front door for everyone
to hear." [Life of Gemma Galgani, by Father Gennanus, C.P.]
Sometimes, however, the phenomena appeared in such a way that she was unable to hide them. Her friend,
Palmira Valentini, attested that on one occasion she met her with clotted blood all over her forehead and
temples. She was not surprised at what she saw, but as Gemma did not realize that anything extraordinary
had happened, she said to her: 'Gemma, one of yours has taken place.' Then she invited her into her house
to wash herself. Gemma entered and washed, but not before her friend had wiped some of the blood away
with her handkerchief, which she afterwards treasured with veneration. Palmira Valentini was well aware of
the extraordinary things that were happening to Gemma, for she herself had told her about them. She gave
the following evidence in the Processes :
'One day Gemma asked me: "Do you know what a beautiful present Jesus has given to me?" And I
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