Autobiography of St. Gemma Galgani
William Browning, Editor
Saint Gemma Galgani, Italian mystic and stigmatic, wrote this autobiography at the request of her Spiritual Director, Fr. Germanus. In February, 1901, at the age of 22, she began a "summary of all that has happened in my life both good and bad."
"I was overwhelmed at the thought of recalling everything, but the angel assured me that he would help me," she writes. Four months later, the 93-page, hand-written notebook was complete, covering all but the last two years of her life. She died in April, 1903.
Here is an excerpt:
“That evening I was in perfect peace. Night came and I went to sleep. All of a sudden I saw my Protector standing before me at the foot of my bed. He said to me: 'Gemma, make the vow to become a religious gladly, but add nothing else.' 'But why?' I asked. Touching me on the forehead while he looked at me and smiled, he answered: 'My sister!' I did not understand what it was all about. To thank him, I kissed his habit. He took the wooden heart (which Passionists wear on their breast), had me kiss it, and then placed it on the sheet over my heart and again said to me: 'My sister!' With that he disappeared.
Published in The Passionist magazine in 1954 and in Cross and Crown magazine in 1955, the Autobiography of St. Gemma Galgani is now available in paperback.
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