saint gemma of lucca

gemma galgani was an italian mystic born near the city of lucca around the late 19th century. she became very religious at a young age and made her first communion at around the age of 9. she was referred to as the "daughter of passion" due to her imitation of the passion of christ (the final period of jesus' life). unfortunately, at a very young age many of her siblings and her own mother passed away from illness. she was sent to a catholic boarding school. she at 16 developed spinal meningitis but would make a recovery, attributing her recovery to the sacred heart of jesus by the intercession of gabriel of our lady of sorrows and marguerite marie alacoque. she was well-liked by students and teachers, excelling in french, arithmetic and music but she would have to leave due to chronic health before completing her studies. shortly after becoming an adult she would become the parental figure (with her aunt carolina) to her siblings due to her father dying, she would become a housekeeper for the giannini family. she wished to become a nun but her poor health kept her from becoming one. she would experience stigmata in 1899 on the eve of the feast of the sacred heart. she was well known around lucca especially to the poor, who she tryed to help many times. during 1903 she developed tuberculosis, going into an even more serious decline around holy week, and would pass away on holy saturday.