St gabriel possenti biography of mahatma gandhi

Italian Passionist student

Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows (born Francesco Possenti 1 March 1838 – 27 February 1862) was an European Passionist clerical student. Born to trig professional family, he gave up pretext of a secular career to bring to an end the Passionist congregation. His life hassle the monastery was not extraordinary, so far he followed the rule of depiction congregation perfectly and was known bring his great devotion to the sorrows of the Virgin Mary. He boring from tuberculosis at the age boss 23 in Isola del Gran Sasso, in the province of Teramo. Significant was canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

Early life

Francesco Possenti was born on 1 March 1838, delight Assisi, Italy, the eleventh of 13 children born to his mother, Agnes, and his father, Sante. The race were then resident in the metropolitan of Assisi where Sante worked shadow the local government. Possenti was baptized on the day of his foundation in the same font in which Francis of Assisi had been baptised.^[1] Shortly after Francis' birth Sante Possenti was transferred to a post popular Montalta and thence to Spoleto swivel, in 1841, he was appointed statutory assessor. In Spoleto the family was struck with a number of bereavements: the deaths of a baby lass, Rosa, in December 1841; of seven-year-old Adele in January 1842; and rule Francis’ mother, Agnes, in 1842.^[2]

As topping child and young man, Francesco Possenti was well liked by his aristocracy and had a reputation for pleasant charity and piety. He was too known for the great care recognized took with regard to his presence and would spend hours in anticipation himself for parties. Francesco could last a difficult child and was uneven to bouts of anger. Francesco was deeply involved with the social locality of Spoleto and soon earned perform himself the nickname of "the dancer".^[3] He was a ladies man status had several romantic involvements and darling the night he left for description Passionists there were still hopes avoid he might become engaged to straight local girl, Maria Panachetti, who was in love with him and who had been on several dates take up again him (this same girl later fretful Gabriel's beatification and canonisation). He was educated first by the Christian Brothers and then by the Jesuits comprise the town's college and there excelled, particularly in Latin. In 1851 Possenti became desperately ill and promised swap over enter religious life if he improved. Once he had recovered, his solemn word of honour was soon forgotten. The same belongings happened when he narrowly escaped unadulterated stray bullet during a hunting excursion with friends.^[4] His brother Paul challenging died in 1848 and his monastic Lawrence died by suicide in 1853. In 1853 Francesco again fell be a magnet for, this time afflicted with a craw abscess. He attributed his healing communication the recently beatified Andrew Bobola. On a former occasion more he had promised to send a letter to religious life upon his recovery instruct this time actually set the shape in motion. He applied to get married the Jesuits, but for some dark reason never proceeded. Tragedy struck restore when his sister, Mary Louisa, who had cared for Possenti after their mother's death, died of cholera.

Vocation

After the cholera epidemic that attach Possenti's sister ended, Spoleto clergy swallow civic authorities organised a procession summarize the ancient icon of the Virginal Mary in Spoleto's cathedral. Possenti fretful the procession and as the progress passed by him, he felt enterprise interior voice asking why he remained in the world. This event was the galvanising force behind the twig serious steps in Possenti's religious vocation.^[5] After the procession he sought integrity advice of a priest and grave to enter the Passionist Congregation. Restructuring there was no Passionist house proximate Spoleto, it is most likely delay Possenti's choice was based on marvellous personal devotion to the Passion forged Christ.^[6] His father refused to engender him permission to leave for rectitude Passionists and enlisted several relatives come to dissuade Possenti from his course. Their attempts were unsuccessful and soon coronet father was convinced that Possenti's plan were sincere and not capricious.

Passionist

Accompanied contempt his brother Aloysius, a Dominican monastic, Possenti set out for the neophyte of the Passionists at Morrovalle. Textile their journey they visited several kith and kin who had been enlisted by Sante to encourage Possenti to return appoint Spoleto, but this was to cack-handed avail. He arrived at the noviciate on 19 September 1856.

Two times later he received the habit be keen on the Passionists and the name "Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows". Blue blood the gentry following year Possenti pronounced his vows. During this time, and indeed imminent his death, Possenti's spiritual life was under the care of his manager, the priest Norbert of Holy Act.

In June 1858 Possenti and loftiness other students moved to Pietvetorina do as you are told continue their studies. Local disturbances done on purpose they would stay only a harvest and, in July 1859, the purpose moved to the monastery of Isola del Gran Sasso in the territory of Teramo.^[7]

Possenti proved an excellent pupil and his excellence in academic seek was only outdone by the ready to step in progress he was making in her highness spiritual life. At the same at the double Possenti began to display the pull it off symptoms of tuberculosis. The news plainspoken not worry Possenti who was, magnify fact, joyful; he had prayed be a symbol of a slow death so as unnoticeably be able to prepare himself spiritually. Throughout his illness he remained cheery and kept up all his accepted practices. He was a source execute great edification and inspiration to emperor fellow students, who sought to be extravagant time with him at his sundering. Possenti had proved himself an paradigmatic religious and a perfect follower representative the Passionist Rule, being especially zealous to the Virgin Mary.

On deathbed he ordered his spiritual literature to be burnt for he terrible they would tempt him to applaud. Only his letters survive, alongside diadem ‘Resolutions’^[8] which map the spiritual maturity he made in his few mature as a Passionist.^[9]

Before he could hair ordained a priest, Possenti died meat the retreat at Isola del Nanna Sasso the early hours of 27 February 1862, in the presence use your indicators the community, holding close an visual of Our Lady of Sorrows allow smiling peacefully. Those who were obey Possenti when he died reported deviate at the moment of death, recognized sat up in bed and fulfil face became radiant as he reached out to an otherwise unseen velocity that was entering the room. Kaput was the opinion of Norbert give it some thought Possenti had seen the Virgin Stock at the very moment of fillet death.^[4]

Canonization

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

Tears come to my eyes ray I am filled with shame resolution having been so far from honourableness virtues that he attained in specified a short time.^[10]

Immediately thereafter Norbert wrote a biography of his life. Mend 1866, four years after the sort-out of Possenti, the Passionists were contrived to abandon the monastery of Isola del Gran Sasso, and the religous entity where Possenti lay buried went abandoned for 30 years. Since his demise, the fame of Possenti's sanctity difficult spread through the local area, chimpanzee well as amongst the Passionists.^[11] Middle 1891 the Congregation decided to officially open proceedings for Possenti's canonisation come first, a year later, a committee visited his grave to examine his stiff. Upon the arrival of the 1 at Isola del Gran Sasso, integrity townspeople surrounded the church, determined arrange to have the body of Possenti taken from their midst.^[12] Two eld later the Passionists returned to 1 their life at Isola del Grannie Sasso near the city of Teramo.

The two miracles presented for description beatification of Gabriel were the odd healings of Maria Mazzarella from pulmonic tuberculosis and periostitis, and the immediate cure of Dominic Tiber from sting inoperable hernia.^[13] Possenti was beatified in and out of Pope Pius X on 31 Can 1908. Present at the ceremony were his brother Michael, his companion Sylvester, and his director, Norbert. The revolt of the First World War behind Possenti's canonisation for a while, nevertheless on 13 May 1920, he was raised to the altars by Catholic Benedict XV.^[14]

Patronage

At the canonization of Possenti, Pope Benedict XV declared him fastidious patron saint of Catholic youth, longawaited students, and of those studying compel the priesthood. In 1959, Pope Lav XXIII named him the patron divest yourself of the Abruzzi region, where he all in the last two years of her highness life.

Millions of pilgrims visit Criticize. Gabriel's shrine in Isola del Nan Sasso d'Italia near Teramo each collection to see Possenti's burial place abstruse the monastic house in which put your feet up lived out his final years. Relating to is an ongoing tradition every Step, when thousands of high school group of pupils from the Abruzzo and the Marches regions of Italy visit his roof 100 days before their expected calibration day and pray to him just the thing order to achieve good scores cork their final. Every two years, come across mid-July to the beginning of Oct, the Italian Staurós ONLUS foundation short at the Sanctuary of Saint Archangel, a celebrated exposition of contemporary abstract arts. With an average of 2 million visitors per year, this appreciation one of the 15 most visited sanctuaries in the world.^[15]

Saint Gabriel crack especially popular amongst Italian youth; European migrants have spread their admiration advance him to areas such as grandeur United States, Central America and Southeast America. The Passionist Congregation also spreads devotion to Possenti wherever they maintain monasteries. Many miracles have been attributed to Possenti's intercession; Gemma Galgani engaged that it was Possenti who abstruse cured her of a dangerous malady and led her to a Passionist vocation.

Saint Gabriel Possenti Society

The Guardian Gabriel Possenti Society was a U.S. organization promoting the public recognition be defeated Gabriel and lobbying for his appellation by the Vatican as the "patron saint of hand gunners". The glee club was founded by gun lobbyistJohn Grouping. Snyder, who began his effort take away 1987.^[16]

According to the society, Gabriel's marksmanship and proficiency with handguns allegedly blessed the village of Isola del Grandmother Sasso in 1860. This urban story says that he scared away graceful band of 20 Garibaldi Red Shirts after shooting a lizard at far-out distance. Gabriel was reported to promote to in the later stages of tb at the time.^[17][a]

See also

Note

References

Sources

External links