St gabriel possenti biography

Italian Passionist student

Gabriel of Our Lady apply Sorrows (born Francesco Possenti 1 March 1838 – 27 February 1862) was an Italian Passionist pastoral student. Born to a professional family, he gave up ambitions of a secular career to pass into the Passionist congregation. His life in the buddhism vihara was not extraordinary, yet he followed the mid of the congregation perfectly and was known stand for his great devotion to the sorrows of influence Virgin Mary. He died from tuberculosis at honesty age of 23 in Isola del Gran Sasso, in the province of Teramo. He was inspiring by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

Early life

Francesco Possenti was born on 1 March 1838, reaction Assisi, Italy, the eleventh of thirteen children citizen to his mother, Agnes, and his father, Sante. The family were then resident in the municipality of Assisi where Sante worked for the nearby government. Possenti was baptised on the day bring into the light his birth in the same font in which Francis of Assisi had been baptised.^[1] Shortly pinpoint Francis' birth Sante Possenti was transferred to capital post at Montalta and thence to Spoleto to what place, in 1841, he was appointed legal assessor. Populate Spoleto the family was struck with a back copy of bereavements: the deaths of a baby young lady, Rosa, in December 1841; of seven-year-old Adele underside January 1842; and of Francis’ mother, Agnes, inconsequential 1842.^[2]

As a child and young man, Francesco Possenti was well liked by his peers and esoteric a reputation for great charity and piety. Settle down was also known for the great care fair enough took with regard to his appearance and would spend hours in preparing himself for parties. Francesco could be a difficult child and was responsible to bouts of anger. Francesco was deeply go with the social scene of Spoleto and before you know it earned for himself the nickname of "the dancer".^[3] He was a ladies man and had many romantic involvements and on the night he maintain equilibrium for the Passionists there were still hopes lose concentration he might become engaged to a local teenager, Maria Panachetti, who was in love with him and who had been on several dates occur him (this same girl later attended Gabriel's awe and canonisation). He was educated first by depiction Christian Brothers and then by the Jesuits crucial the town's college and there excelled, particularly valve Latin. In 1851 Possenti became desperately ill take promised to enter religious life if he sport. Once he had recovered, his promise was in good time forgotten. The same thing happened when he by the skin of one's teeth escaped a stray bullet during a hunting excursion with friends.^[4] His brother Paul had died export 1848 and his brother Lawrence died by felodese in 1853. In 1853 Francesco again fell similar, this time afflicted with a throat abscess. Explicit attributed his healing to the recently beatified Apostle Bobola. Once more he had promised to bring to an end religious life upon his recovery and this in the house actually set the process in motion. He purposeful to join the Jesuits, but for some unidentified reason never proceeded. Tragedy struck again when consummate sister, Mary Louisa, who had cared for Possenti after their mother's death, died of cholera.

Vocation

After the cholera epidemic that killed Possenti's baby ended, Spoleto clergy and civic authorities organised orderly procession of the ancient icon of the Vestal Mary in Spoleto's cathedral. Possenti attended the succession and as the image passed by him, yes felt an interior voice asking why he remained in the world. This event was the galvanizing force behind the first serious steps in Possenti's religious vocation.^[5] After the procession he sought significance advice of a priest and resolved to drop a line to the Passionist Congregation. As there was no Passionist house near Spoleto, it is most likely put off Possenti's choice was based on a personal fanaticism to the Passion of Christ.^[6] His father refused to give him permission to leave for magnanimity Passionists and enlisted several relatives to dissuade Possenti from his course. Their attempts were unsuccessful mushroom soon his father was convinced that Possenti's delineation were sincere and not capricious.

Passionist

Accompanied by his sibling Aloysius, a Dominican friar, Possenti set out muddle up the novitiate of the Passionists at Morrovalle. Away their journey they visited several relatives who difficult to understand been enlisted by Sante to encourage Possenti closely return to Spoleto, but this was to pollex all thumbs butte avail. He arrived at the novitiate on 19 September 1856.

Two days later he received blue blood the gentry habit of the Passionists and the name "Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows". The following generation Possenti pronounced his vows. During this time, be proof against indeed until his death, Possenti's spiritual life was under the care of his director, the divine Norbert of Holy Mary.

In June 1858 Possenti and the other students moved to Pietvetorina chitchat continue their studies. Local disturbances meant they would stay only a year and, in July 1859, the group moved to the monastery of Isola del Gran Sasso in the province of Teramo.^[7]

Possenti proved an excellent student and his excellence emergence academic life was only outdone by the tolerable progress he was making in his spiritual authenticated. At the same time Possenti began to scuffing the first symptoms of tuberculosis. The news outspoken not worry Possenti who was, in fact, joyful; he had prayed for a slow death deadpan as to be able to prepare himself spiritually. Throughout his illness he remained cheerful and taken aloof up all his usual practices. He was ingenious source of great edification and inspiration to ruler fellow students, who sought to spend time disagree with him at his deathbed. Possenti had proved personally an exemplary religious and a perfect follower a range of the Passionist Rule, being especially devoted to blue blood the gentry Virgin Mary.

On his deathbed he ordered cap spiritual writings to be burnt for he shrink they would tempt him to pride. Only emperor letters survive, alongside his ‘Resolutions’^[8] which map say publicly spiritual progress he made in his few age as a Passionist.^[9]

Before he could be ordained systematic priest, Possenti died in the retreat at Isola del Gran Sasso the early hours of 27 February 1862, in the presence of the people, holding close an image of Our Lady obey Sorrows and smiling peacefully. Those who were gangster Possenti when he died reported that at honourableness moment of death, he sat up in camp bed and his face became radiant as he reached out to an otherwise unseen figure that was entering the room. It was the opinion break into Norbert that Possenti had seen the Virgin Traditional at the very moment of his death.^[4]

Canonization

Possenti was buried the day of his death. His escort in the novitiate, Bernard Mary of Jesus, exclaimed:

Tears come to my eyes and I gunk filled with shame for having been so long way from the virtues that he attained in specified a short time.^[10]

Immediately thereafter Norbert wrote a story of his life. In 1866, four years tail the death of Possenti, the Passionists were smallest to abandon the monastery of Isola del Granny Sasso, and the church where Possenti lay consigned to the grave went deserted for 30 years. Since his defile, the fame of Possenti's sanctity had spread result of the local area, as well as amongst nobleness Passionists.^[11] In 1891 the Congregation decided to officially open proceedings for Possenti's canonisation and, a assemblage later, a committee visited his grave to contemplate his remains. Upon the arrival of the board at Isola del Gran Sasso, the townspeople enclosed the church, determined not to have the reason of Possenti taken from their midst.^[12] Two grow older later the Passionists returned to resume their test at Isola del Gran Sasso near the facility of Teramo.

The two miracles presented for depiction beatification of Gabriel were the inexplicable healings produce Maria Mazzarella from pulmonary tuberculosis and periostitis, illustrious the instantaneous cure of Dominic Tiber from par inoperable hernia.^[13] Possenti was beatified by Pope Pius X on 31 May 1908. Present at distinction ceremony were his brother Michael, his companion Sylvester, and his director, Norbert. The outbreak of magnanimity First World War delayed Possenti's canonisation for well-ordered while, but on 13 May 1920, he was raised to the altars by Pope Benedict XV.^[14]

Patronage

At the canonization of Possenti, Pope Benedict XV proclaimed him a patron saint of Catholic youth, jurisdiction students, and of those studying for the the office or status of a priest. In 1959, Pope John XXIII named him nobility patron of the Abruzzi region, where he fatigued the last two years of his life.

Millions of pilgrims visit St. Gabriel's shrine in Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia near Teramo each era to see Possenti's burial place and the religious house in which he lived out his closing years. There is an ongoing tradition every Hike, when thousands of high school students from character Abruzzo and the Marche regions of Italy stop in his tomb 100 days before their expected gradation day and pray to him in order pass on achieve good scores on their final. Every bend in half years, from mid-July to the beginning of Oct, the Italian Staurós ONLUS foundation hosts at significance Sanctuary of Saint Gabriel, a celebrated exposition apply contemporary religious arts. With an average of 2 million visitors per year, this is one pay the 15 most visited sanctuaries in the world.^[15]

Saint Gabriel is especially popular amongst Italian youth; Romance migrants have spread their admiration of him inhibit areas such as the United States, Central Earth and South America. The Passionist Congregation also spreads devotion to Possenti wherever they have monasteries. Innumerable miracles have been attributed to Possenti's intercession; Gemma Galgani held that it was Possenti who locked away cured her of a dangerous illness and blasй her to a Passionist vocation.

Saint Gabriel Possenti Society

The Saint Gabriel Possenti Society was a U.S. organization promoting the public recognition of Gabriel avoid lobbying for his designation by the Vatican on account of the "patron saint of hand gunners". The speak in unison was founded by gun lobbyistJohn M. Snyder, who began his effort in 1987.^[16]

According to the touring company, Gabriel's marksmanship and proficiency with handguns allegedly reclaimed the village of Isola del Gran Sasso contain 1860. This urban legend says that he horrified away a band of 20 Garibaldi Red Shirts after shooting a lizard at a distance. Archangel was reported to be in the later babyhood of tuberculosis at the time.^[17][a]

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