Gemma Galgani was born to Ernic and Aurelia Galgani on March 12, 1878, in the town of Camigliano, in the country of Italy. Gemma's father was a descendent from the family of St. John Leonardi. Now Gemma's name was not going to be Gemma. The name Gemma is Italian, meaning "Gem", and her mother did not want to name her that because it was not a Saint's name. But, when the priest who was to give her baptism saw her, he exclaimed, "Una gemma del Paradiso!" Her mother was sure that that was a sign from God, and so her name was Gemma. Surely God had it ordained as such, so that now girls can be named Gemma, with a powerful Saint as their patron.

Gemma was one of seven children. She and her brother, Gino, were favorites of their father, and they themselves were very close. When she was four, her grandmother once saw her kneeling in front of a picture of the Blessed Mother. She went up to her and asked her what she was doing. Gemma replied that she was praying her rosary. Then, with her famous Italian nature, the little girl asked her to leave so that she could finish.

Gemma's mother was very close to her while she was growing up. Aurelia would pray with her, tell her stories of Jesus and Mary, and it was her who taught Gemma the love of Jesus on the cross. But when Gemma was five, her mother became very ill. Her mother would still tell her stories, even though she herself was bedridden. Gemma's mother requested that Gemma receive the sacrament of Confirmation early. So Gemma received Confirmation at the age of seven. While Gemma was thanking Our Lord she heard Him ask her, "Will you give Me your mother?" She agreed, but on one condition - that Gemma could go too. Jesus then asked her to give Him just her mother without any conditions. Gemma agreed to this, and it was the beginning of many more difficult sacrifices to come. And on September 17th, 1886 Gemma's mother, Aurelia, died at the age of 39. The first Christmas without Aurelia was a very quiet one, especially for Gemma. She would stare out the window thinking of the things that she and her mother used to do together. These happy but past memories would often cause her to burst into tears.

When Gemma was nine years old, she was sent to a boarding school run by the Sisters of St. Zita. Due to Gemma's pleading with the priest there she was able, on June 17th, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, to receive her First Holy Communion. She was an excellent student, being very smart, and did well in all of her subjects. She never wanted to lie. She said what she meant, and did not try to change it, sometimes being very blunt in her honesty. One time, a Sister was going to ask the class, "Who wants to be a Saint in the play?", but before she could finish her question, was surprisingly interrupted by little Gemma. When she heard the nun ask "Who wants to be a Saint?", Gemma jumped up and shouted, "I will become a Saint!" Such was the faith and determination of this young Italian girl.

Before long, that perseverance and courage would soon be put to a hard test. Gemma soon began to experience the dark night of the soul. Her soul would suffer loneliness and she felt altogether spiritually deserted and empty, but she would not feel emptiness after she received Holy Communion. When Gemma was 13, she went on a retreat and Christ told her how to be more like Him in obedience, humility, and His true love. She afterwards felt much better. In 1894, when she was 16, her dear brother Gino died, at the age of 18. His death was caused by the same illness that had taken her mother. Gino died after studying for the priesthood and graduating from a minor seminary. Gemma was crushed, and she fell very ill. For three months, she was sick in bed. Her father, fearing that she would die, prayed to God that He take him instead. Two years later his prayers were answered. In November 1897, Gemma's father died of throat cancer.

Gemma was too sick to go to school. She stayed home and taught her brothers and sisters. She wore simple clothes, which were usually pure black. One time, she wore a gold watch and a gold crucifix and chain when she went out. Upon her return home, her Guardian Angel appeared to her and scolded her harshly saying, "Remember the spouse of the Crucified King should wear no ornaments, but thorns and crosses." When she heard this she took off the jewelry and solemnly promised to never wear any again. As is illustrated in this short story, Gemma Galgani had the extraordinary privilege of seeing and communicating with her Guardian Angel. Her Angel guided her, encouraged her holy desires and actions, taught her and as we saw, would rebuke her for her wrong deeds. On many occasions, her Guardian Angel would emphasize to her how important it was to be obedient. "Obedience!" the Angel would say, "You must obey! Whatever is asked of you, you must obey quickly and joyfully!" Her Guardian Angel told her that the shortcut to hell is through disobedience. Thereby, we can assume that the sure path to Heaven is through humble and cheerful obedience.

In addition to her sicknesses, Gemma's leg was infected. It was going to be amputated (cut off), but the doctor instead decided to operate on it, which was very painful for Gemma. She was living with her brother and his wife. Then, her aunts asked her to come and live with them. She accepted the invitation. Gemma lived with her wealthy aunts for some time, but after two different men had asked her hand in marriage, she realized that she should leave. She thanked her aunts very much and, although she would miss them, she knew that her true happiness was at the home of trials and sufferings.

Soon after Gemma returned to her brother's home, she had a terrible back ache, which got so bad that she was completely bent over. She then got sharp pains in her spine, her hair fell out, she lost her hearing, and her legs were paralyzed. At the time Gemma was enduring all of this painful suffering, a woman lent her a book about Venerable Gabriel of Sorrows (who is now recognized as a Saint). Gemma was not interested in reading about him until one night, when she was spiritually attacked. The devil appeared to her and said that he could make all of the suffering stop and that he was capable of making her truly happy. Gemma was about to give in to these temptations, when she called to mind the book she was borrowing. She called out to Gabriel for help and suddenly she was at peace. When she was attacked a second time, she again invoked the Saint's help, and the devil was driven away. Before returning the book, Gemma read through it over and over again. She was so deeply attached to and moved with the story it had to tell, that when the woman came back for the book, Gemma began to cry. That very night, though, she received consolation for the loss of the book. Saint Gabriel himself appeared to her and told her to be good and he would come again.

On the feast of the Immaculate Conception, 1897, Gemma felt a strong desire to become a religious. That same feastday, in a dream, Gabriel appeared to her and gave to her a heart. The heart looked like the badge he wore on his habit. Holding it out to her, he told her to kiss it. Then he placed it on her heart in the same place where it rested on his. Gabriel told her that if she made the appropriate vow she would become a religious and he would call her his "Sister". The next day Gemma did as he said. She made her vow and received Holy Communion. She was very happy.

Gemma's physical condition got worse and worse until, on February 2nd, 1899, she received Extreme Unction. A Sister of St. Zita gave her a novena to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Around midnight, she heard rosary beads softly clanking. It was the Venerable Gabriel telling her to keep praying the novena faithfully and pray to the Sacred Heart. He promised that he would come every night and pray with her. When the 9th and final day of the novena came, Gemma received Holy Communion and went to Confession. Jesus then appeared to her and taking her into His arms, asked her, "I give all to you, will you give all to Me?" Gemma complained how she was all alone because her father and mother were gone. Jesus smiled and said, "I will be your father and My mother will be your mother." A servant saw people around Gemma's bed saying, "We want to cure you." Gemma got better.

Since it was through the intercession of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque that Gemma was healed, she believed it meant that she was to be in the Visitation Order. She was so excited on May 21, 1899, the day she thought she was going to enter. But Gemma was rejected, for she was too fragile from her illness. The poor girl was heartbroken.

On the following Thursday, Gemma was thinking of all the horrible sins that people commit. Their sinning caused her sorrow, and as she thought about everything she received an apparition. Her Guardian Angel and Our Lady appeared to her with Jesus. He told her that He had forgiven her all of her sins. Suddenly, the wounds in Jesus were full of light as they appeared to be coming down to Gemma. The pain was so great that Gemma would have fallen, if the Blessed Mother had not been holding her up. Gemma laid there, supported by Our Lady and covered with her Heavenly mantle. The vision lasted for three hours, then Our Lord and Our Lady departed. Gemma had received the Stigmata. The wounds hurt so badly, her Guardian Angel had to help her into bed. The next day, she bound her bleeding hands. On Thursday evenings at 8:00 the wounds would begin to bleed and would continue to bleed until Friday at 3:00 in the afternoon. By Saturday morning the wounds would completely disappear and new skin would grow in their place.

In September of 1900, the Gianninis family, after getting Gemma's brother's permission, adopted the rare gem as a daughter. The Gianninis were a wealthy family in the city of Lucca. Each morning after going to mass, Gemma would come home and help the Giannini children get dressed and ready for school. Gemma helped the servants around the house, and her favorite job was setting the dining room table.

The Bishop, hearing of Gemma's experiences, examined her and her case. He said that there was nothing "supernatural" in any of it. Her pastor, Monsignor Volpe, summoned a doctor to inspect Gemma. When the doctor finished he concluded that it was nothing but pure madness. Then, people that had believed her began to doubt her. Very soon, they did not like her at all. God told Gemma who her new confessor was to be. Gemma wrote a letter to the new confessor, addressing it to Father Germano. Father Germano spoke with Monsignor Volpe, who gave him the responsibility of Gemma almost immediately. Father Germano was then invited to the Gianninis' home for dinner.

After the dinner Gemma went to her room, and Gemma's Aunt Cecilia, her aunt by adoption, left also, to check on her. Surprised, Aunt Cecilia returned to the priest - but without Gemma. Instead, she asked Father Germano to come with her. They made their way to Gemma's room and when they arrived they heard Gemma talking to Someone whom they could not see. The holy woman's voice was full of emotion, and her silent witnesses became very attentive.

Gemma was arguing with Our Lord, and it appeared that He was not going to change His mind either. Gemma cried out , "I do not seek Your Justice, but Your Mercy!" Jesus explained to her that the man had sinned far too much and there was nothing He could do. Hearing this, Gemma said to Him, "It is Your Mother herself who is praying for him. Will You say 'no' to her? And now, answer me, Jesus, and tell me You have saved my sinner." There was a pause. Then, suddenly, she exclaimed "He is saved! He is saved! Jesus, You won!"

It appeared that the conversation had ended and Father Germano quietly walked away from Gemma's room. As he was leaving, he was approached by a member of the family. The man informed the priest that there was someone who wanted to see him. Father Germano found himself before a contrite man who addressed him with the words "Father, I want to make my confession." To his utter shock, the priest recognized him to be the 'sinner' for whose conversion, Gemma had fought for. You can never have too much confidence or perseverance when approaching the Mercy and Love of Jesus and His Mother, Mary.

Christ told Gemma to tell Father Germano that He wished an order of Passionist nuns to be founded in Lucca. Gemma realized that the Passionists was the order that the Venerable Gabriel had been. Gemma tried then to enter a community of Passionist nuns, but she was rejected. Someone had lied about her to the superior, and not only was she rejected but was also harshly scolded for sins that she'd never committed. Gemma was heartbroken. Gabriel appeared to her and told her it was Father Germano who was to begin the Passionists in Lucca. He told Gemma the name of a woman, and where she lived. This woman would be the one who would help bring the convent to success. Gemma did not know the woman and was not sure what he meant by this. She so desired to enter the order, and yet it was not to be her who was to bring the convent to its feet. It was hard for her to bear, but Gabriel told her that two years later, on a Friday, the convent would officially open. Gemma immediately agreed to help. She went with Aunt Cecilia and together they begged and looked for a house for the new convent. Jesus later appeared to Gemma and told her that the convent was not for her and there was an even better one waiting for her. She was very upset, for Gabriel had told her that she was his sister. What did this mean if she was not able to join the Passionists?

Months later, in May of 1902, Gemma fell very ill. Our Lady appeared to Gemma. "Tell your father," she said, "that if he does not listen to you, I will very soon take you with me to Heaven." And she left Gemma with a kiss. Gemma told Father Germano what Our Lady had told her. Yet, Father Germano did not do anything about it and he still did not put much work into the new convent. The poor Saint begged him to listen to her. Our Lord had told her that if Father Germano did not do anything, in six months He would take Gemma. She wanted to live long enough to see the new convent open. But later, Jesus came and told her that it was too late, and that she would soon be coming to Him. To go to Heaven with Jesus would be a wonderful thing and far greater than anything this world could ever offer anyone, but Gemma felt a little sting at not being able to serve God the way she had wanted to. And before she could hold tight to the wonderful reality that she would soon go to Heaven, the devil came to take advantage of this initial dejection.

With a final attempt, the devil attacked Gemma wildly. He filled her heart with sadness and bitterness, telling her that all of her sufferings were just a waste of time. He tried to convince her that she'd lied to everyone to make her believe that she was so holy, while all the time she was actually leading them away from God. Gemma then tried very hard to repair the damage she imagined she'd done. She wrote about her life and accused herself of lying and many other sins. Hoping that she could still be forgiven of these sins, she showed it to Father Germano. Father Germano told her again and again that she had not done any of these and that she was in fact very good. Gemma continued to write and while she did the devil would come and try to smear the ink all over her pages. If one looks at the original copy of the book that she wrote, you can still see the devil's hoof marks burnt onto the pages. Gemma could no longer eat, for the devil made the food look as if it was crawling with disgusting insects which would make Gemma vomit.

Gemma's Guardian Angel appeared to her, offering her either a crown of thorns or a crown of lilies. Through all of her sufferings, Gemma still wanted Jesus' crown and her Guardian Angel gave her the crown of thorns. Once when Jesus appeared to her, He encouraged her and told her to keep fighting with satan. When He departed, the devil started the attacks again and Gemma cried out, "Jesus where are you? You know my heart; where are You?"

Gemma's death was nearing, and the holy girl was awaiting it eagerly. Her Aunt Cecilia asked her why she could not wait to be with Jesus, if she had already seen Him so many times.

"But it is not the same as He is in Paradise," Gemma explained. "One time I saw Him a little bit better and He was so brilliant, so radiant that my eyes burned."

Aunt Cecilia's suddenly remembered an incident when she had scolded Gemma for not taking proper care of herself. She assumed this because Gemma's eyes were so red.

On Spy Wednesday, the Wednesday before Good Friday, Gemma received Holy Communion. She had not been able to before because of her constant vomiting. The next day, Holy Thursday, she received Holy Communion again and she was heard saying that there was no more for her to suffer. On Holy Saturday, Gemma was dying. She received the Last Sacraments.

As she was nearing her last moments she cried, "Jesus, if it is Your Will, take me." Then addressing herself to Our Lady added, "My Mamma, I commend my soul to you. Tell Jesus to be merciful to me."

She died with the crucifix in her hands. It was about 1:30 p.m. on April 11, 1903, that Gemma Galgani died at the age of 25. Although she'd never officially become a Passionist, Gemma lived and suffered the life of one to such a degree that, she could truthfully and worthily be reckoned as a true sister of Gabriel of Sorrows.

Father Germano had her biography published four years after she died. The inscription that was written on Gemma's tombstone is as follows: "The faithful virgin of Lucca, consumed with love rather than disease, has flown to the loving embrace of her Spouse."

On a Friday of July in 1908, the convent in Lucca was opened. As Gemma had said, she was accepted as a Passionist and her body was moved there on September 4th, 1923, twenty years after her death. And it lies there still, to this day. Gemma Galgani was beatified on May 14, 1933 and was canonized May 2, 1940.