Gemma Galgani - Citizendia

Saint Gemma Galgani

"The virgin of Lucca"
Born	March 12, 1878(1878-03-12), Camigliano, Italy
Died	April 11, 1903, Lucca, Italy
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	1933 by Pope Pius XI
Canonized	May 2, 1940 by Pope Pius XII
Major shrine	Passionist monastery in the city of Lucca, Italy
Feast	April 11
Attributes	Passionist robes, flowers (specially lillies and roses), guardian angel, sometimes stigmata
Patronage	students, pharmacists, tuberculosis sufferers
Saints Portal

Saint Gemma Galgani (born March 12, 1878 in Camigliano, Italy, died April 11, 1903) is a Catholic saint who was canonized by Pope Pius XII on May 2, 1940. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed via Greek μακάριος makarios) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic church Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pope Pius XI ( Latin: Pius PP XI; Italian: Pio XI; May 31 1857 &ndash February 10 1939) born Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pope A shrine, from the Latin scrinium (‘box’ also used as a desk like the French bureau) was originally a container usually made of precious materials used Passionism is also an artistic movement Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order that was founded by St Paul of This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. Lucca is a city in Tuscany, northern central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near (but not on the Ligurian Sea Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Christianity has used symbols from its very beginnings Each Saint has a story and a reason why he or she led an exemplary life The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints Pope Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

She was the daughter of a poor pharmacist and suffered throughout her life with ill health. Pharmacists are Health professionals who practice the art and science of Pharmacy. She was unable to finish her schooling and therefore was not accepted to become a Passionist nun. Passionism is also an artistic movement Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order that was founded by St Paul of At age 20, she fell, developed meningitis and attributed her recovery from the disease to prayers to Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. Meningitis is Inflammation of the protective membranes covering the Brain and Spinal cord, known collectively as the Meninges. A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, a Passionist clerical student known for his devotion to the Virgin Mary, born Francesco Possenti at Assisi

Gemma was orphaned shortly after she turned 18, making her financially responsible for the upbringing of her younger siblings, which she did with her aunt Carolina. An orphan (from the Greek ὀρφανός) is a child whose natural parents are absent or dead and who are not there to bring him up She declined two marriage proposals and became, instead, a housekeeper with a local family, the Gianninis. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE-ROMEOS***************

According to her legend, Gemma began to display signs of the stigmata in 1899, at the age of twenty-one. Stigmata are bodily marks sores or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the Crucifixion wounds of Jesus. She stated that she had spoken to her guardian angel, Jesus, the Virgin Mary and other saints, which she treated as pretty much members of her family, among other things. A guardian angel is an Angel who protects and guides a particular person

Gemma was well-known in the Catholic community of Lucca even before her death. Opinions were divided: some people admired her virtue and referred to her as "The Virgin of Lucca"; others mocked her (included her sister Angelina; she apparently used to bully Gemma during such experiences, and during Gemma's canonization process was deemed as 'unfit' to testify due to accusations of attempting to get profit of her older sister's fame); finally, others even thought she had a mental illness (her stigmata was believed for a long time to have originated in a nervous breakdown, more than any holy favors).

In early 1903, Gemma was diagnosed with tuberculosis and died not long after, in a small room next to the Giannini house. Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or T u' b' erculosis Bacillus --> is a common She was beatified in 1933 and canonized in 1940. Beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed via Greek μακάριος makarios) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic church Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Today, her relics are housed at the Passionist monastery in the city of Lucca, in Italy. Passionism is also an artistic movement Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order that was founded by St Paul of This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. Lucca is a city in Tuscany, northern central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near (but not on the Ligurian Sea

As one of the most popular saints of the Passionist order, the devotion to Gemma Galgani is particularly strong in Italy and Latin America. She is a patron saint of students (she was said to be top of her class before having to retire) and of pharmacists. The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members

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See also