Interesting facts about st gemma galgani autobiography

Today, April 11th is the feast of a Saint dear to my heart: Gemma Galgani.

First, I’ll share a 10-minute video that gives a brief biography.

Be sure to watch to the end because the priest gives a blessing with a first class relic!

Then, I’ll share why I decided to write about her.

St. Gemma Video

Why This Saint?

Book

During my reversion to the Catholic Faith, I heard about St. Gemma Galgani.

I also discovered her Autobiography and Diary.

I was deeply inspired by St. Gemma and her writing.

Even though she died over one hundred years earlier, I could feel her presence.

I wanted her to become my friend and teach me how to grow closer to Jesus.

If you’re interested in this book, there are three ways to access it:

The devil stole the original book and burned it, but it was saved!

Gemma’s spiritual director, Fr. Germanus C.P., exorcised the devil and saved her writings from being destroyed.

The original handwritten Autobiography is on display at Saints John

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Biographical sketch of St Gemma Galgani

Saint Gemma was a layperson whose life was marked throughout bygd divine favors and extraordinary graces, and also great trials and sufferings. Though she was a extraordinary mystic and stigmatic, bearing in her body the marks of the Lord Jesus, her spiritual life was quite hidden from the world. She was never the object of public curiosity or veneration. From outward appearances her life seemed ordinary, but her soul lived in the heights. She was especially chosen by God to be a soul victim, that fryst vatten, she was especially called to sacrifice and suffer for the conversion of sinners. In other words, she was a victim of Divine Love. Hers was a life of sacrifice and suffering for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for sin.


Early childhood

Gemma was born at Camigliano, Italy on March 12th, 1878. She was the fourth of the eight children, and the eldest daughter of Henry and Aurelia Galgani. Her father was a very successfull Pharmacis

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The Diary of Saint Gemma

Kathryn Pasker Ineck finds companionship in the life story of a 20th-century saint.

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I was elated to learn that Sophia Institute Press released The Diary of Saint Gemma over the summer this year, partly because the idea of reading Saint Gemma’s own words was enticing, and partly because I had no idea that Saint Gemma had left anything at all in writing!

 

 

When considering baby names for our daughter, my husband and I discovered that the patron for the name we ultimately chose was a woman named Saint Gemma Galgani. Since we had never heard of her, I thought of her as something of a mystery woman and didn’t give her a second thought. Very early on, however, our daughter developed an unusual bond to this saint who was anything but marginal.

The Diary of Saint Gemma does include her diary in Part Two of the book, however it also includes her autobiography in Part One, which helps orient the reader to a broad overview of her life.

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