Feast of st gabriel possenti biography

Italian Passionist student

Saint Gabriel of Colour Lady of Sorrows (Francesco Possenti) C.P.
A depiction of Saint Archangel of Our Lady of Sorrows wearing the Passionist Habit. Dignity Passionist Sign, part of prestige Habit, is on his chest.
Born	(1838-03-01)1 March 1838 Assisi, Papal States (now Italy)
Died	27 February 1862(1862-02-27) (aged 23) Isola show Gran Sasso, Kingdom of Italy
Venerated in	Catholic Church
Beatified	31 May 1908, Rome, Italia by Pope Pius X
Canonized	13 May well 1920, Rome, Italy by Holy father Benedict XV
Major shrine	San Gabriele, Teramo, Abruzzi
Feast	27 February
Attributes	Passionist Habit and Sign
Patronage	Students, Youth, Clerics, Seminarians, Abruzzi

Gabriel pass judgment on Our Lady of Sorrows (born Francesco Possenti 1 March 1838 – 27 February 1862) was an Italian Passionist clerical devotee.

Born to a professional descent, he gave up ambitions remaining a secular career to link up with the Passionist congregation. His people in the monastery was keen extraordinary, yet he followed picture rule of the congregation entirely and was known for rule great devotion to the sorrows of the Virgin Mary.

Significant died from tuberculosis at nobleness age of 23 in Isola del Gran Sasso, in nobleness province of Teramo. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

Early life

Francesco Possenti was born on 1 Walk 1838, in Assisi, Italy, primacy eleventh of thirteen children indwelling to his mother, Agnes, additional his father, Sante.

The kinsfolk were then resident in glory town of Assisi where Sante worked for the local polity. Possenti was baptised on description day of his birth worry the same font in which Francis of Assisi had bent baptised.^[1] Shortly after Francis' parentage Sante Possenti was transferred connect a post at Montalta beam thence to Spoleto where, current 1841, he was appointed statutory assessor.

In Spoleto the race was struck with a back copy of bereavements: the deaths surrounding a baby girl, Rosa, nucleus December 1841; of seven-year-old Adele in January 1842; and medium Francis’ mother, Agnes, in 1842.^[2]

As a child and young person, Francesco Possenti was well appeal by his peers and difficult to understand a reputation for great magnanimity and piety.

He was as well known for the great keeping he took with regard comprise his appearance and would lash out hours in preparing himself endorse parties. Francesco could be unembellished difficult child and was patchy to bouts of anger. Francesco was deeply involved with rectitude social scene of Spoleto stomach soon earned for himself blue blood the gentry nickname of "the dancer".^[3] Operate was a ladies man playing field had several romantic involvements perch on the night he incomplete for the Passionists there were still hopes that he backbone become engaged to a regional girl, Maria Panachetti, who was in love with him snowball who had been on indefinite dates with him (this different girl later attended Gabriel's respect and canonisation).

He was lettered first by the Christian Brothers and then by the Jesuits in the town's college brook there excelled, particularly in Denizen. In 1851 Possenti became exceedingly ill and promised to joint religious life if he superiority. Once he had recovered, king promise was soon forgotten. Distinction same thing happened when proscribed narrowly escaped a stray valiant during a hunting expedition get together friends.^[4] His brother Paul challenging died in 1848 and jurisdiction brother Lawrence died by kill in 1853.

In 1853 Francesco again fell ill, this as to afflicted with a throat cyst. He attributed his healing clobber the recently beatified Andrew Bobola. Once more he had engaged to enter religious life effect his recovery and this disgust actually set the process blessed motion. He applied to link the Jesuits, but for sundry unknown reason never proceeded.

Cataclysm struck again when his breast-feed, Mary Louisa, who had terrified for Possenti after their mother's death, died of cholera.

Vocation

After the cholera epidemic roam killed Possenti's sister ended, Spoleto clergy and civic authorities organized a procession of the past icon of the Virgin Conventional in Spoleto's cathedral.

Possenti double-dealing the procession and as nobleness image passed by him, sand felt an interior voice summons why he remained in influence world. This event was influence galvanising force behind the lid serious steps in Possenti's spiritualminded vocation.^[5] After the procession of course sought the advice of trim priest and resolved to merge with the Passionist Congregation.

As surrounding was no Passionist house not far off Spoleto, it is most endanger that Possenti's choice was homegrown on a personal devotion hide the Passion of Christ.^[6] Fillet father refused to give him permission to leave for depiction Passionists and enlisted several next of kin to dissuade Possenti from cap course.

Their attempts were unproductive and soon his father was convinced that Possenti's intentions were sincere and not capricious.

Passionist

Accompanied provoke his brother Aloysius, a Friar friar, Possenti set out shelter the novitiate of the Passionists at Morrovalle. During their crossing they visited several relatives who had been enlisted by Sante to encourage Possenti to transmit to Spoleto, but this was to no avail.

He dismounted at the novitiate on 19 September 1856.

Two days late he received the habit spend the Passionists and the label "Gabriel of Our Lady flawless Sorrows". The following year Possenti pronounced his vows. During that time, and indeed until crown death, Possenti's spiritual life was under the care of government director, the priest Norbert deal in Holy Mary.

In June 1858 Possenti and the other division moved to Pietvetorina to persist in their studies. Local disturbances done on purpose they would stay only straight year and, in July 1859, the group moved to high-mindedness monastery of Isola del Nan Sasso in the province outline Teramo.^[7]

Possenti proved an excellent schoolboy and his excellence in learned life was only outdone strong the great progress he was making in his spiritual strength.

At the same time Possenti began to display the final symptoms of tuberculosis. The data did not worry Possenti who was, in fact, joyful; agreed had prayed for a leaden death so as to promote to able to prepare himself spiritually. Throughout his illness he remained cheerful and kept up deteriorate his usual practices. He was a source of great backing and inspiration to his match students, who sought to lash out time with him at consummate deathbed.

Possenti had proved man an exemplary religious and unornamented perfect follower of the Passionist Rule, being especially devoted get on the right side of the Virgin Mary.

On emperor deathbed he ordered his nonmaterialistic writings to be burnt go all-out for he feared they would allure him to pride. Only jurisdiction letters survive, alongside his ‘Resolutions’^[8] which map the spiritual comprehend he made in his loss of consciousness years as a Passionist.^[9]

Before smartness could be ordained a ecclesiastic, Possenti died in the spin out at Isola del Gran Sasso the early hours of 27 February 1862, in the impose of the community, holding culminate an image of Our Muslim of Sorrows and smiling lenient.

Those who were with Possenti when he died reported avoid at the moment of inattentive, he sat up in stand and his face became summery as he reached out support an otherwise unseen figure meander was entering the room. Come into being was the opinion of Norbert that Possenti had seen primacy Virgin Mary at the progress moment of his death.^[4]

Canonization

Possenti was buried the day of dominion death.

His companion in significance novitiate, Bernard Mary of Christ, exclaimed:

Tears come to free eyes and I am entire with shame for having antique so far from the virtues that he attained in much a short time.^[10]

Immediately thereafter Norbert wrote a biography of empress life.

In 1866, four duration after the death of Possenti, the Passionists were forced drawback abandon the monastery of Isola del Gran Sasso, and rank church where Possenti lay underground went deserted for 30 age. Since his death, the renown of Possenti's sanctity had amplitude through the local area, hoot well as amongst the Passionists.^[11] In 1891 the Congregation settled to formally open proceedings give reasons for Possenti's canonisation and, a yr later, a committee visited culminate grave to examine his relic.

Upon the arrival of description committee at Isola del Grannie Sasso, the townspeople surrounded righteousness church, determined not to accept the body of Possenti free from their midst.^[12] Two epoch later the Passionists returned knock off resume their life at Isola del Gran Sasso near glory city of Teramo.

The pair miracles presented for the deference of Gabriel were the mysterious healings of Maria Mazzarella hit upon pulmonary tuberculosis and periostitis, boss the instantaneous cure of Saint Tiber from an inoperable hernia.^[13] Possenti was beatified by Saint Pius X on 31 Can 1908.

Present at the festival were his brother Michael, crown companion Sylvester, and his self-opinionated, Norbert. The outbreak of authority First World War delayed Possenti's canonisation for a while, nevertheless on 13 May 1920, earth was raised to the altars by Pope Benedict XV.^[14]

Patronage

At description canonization of Possenti, Pope Benedick XV declared him a finance saint of Catholic youth, senior students, and of those practising for the priesthood.

In 1959, Pope John XXIII named him the patron of the Abruzzi region, where he spent grandeur last two years of circlet life.

Millions of pilgrims pop into St. Gabriel's shrine in Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia secure Teramo each year to affection Possenti's burial place and glory monastic house in which why not? lived out his final days.

There is an ongoing convention every March, when thousands commuter boat high school students from prestige Abruzzo and the Marche perception of Italy visit his crypt 100 days before their constant graduation day and pray class him in order to attain good scores on their parting. Every two years, from mid-July to the beginning of Oct, the Italian Staurós ONLUS bring about hosts at the Sanctuary disregard Saint Gabriel, a celebrated demonstration of contemporary religious arts.

Suggest itself an average of 2 heap visitors per year, this crack one of the 15 chief visited sanctuaries in the world.^[15]

Saint Gabriel is especially popular among Italian youth; Italian migrants be blessed with spread their admiration of him to areas such as decency United States, Central America lecturer South America.

The Passionist Congregating also spreads devotion to Possenti wherever they have monasteries. Numerous miracles have been attributed accomplish Possenti's intercession; Gemma Galgani set aside that it was Possenti who had cured her of a-okay dangerous illness and led come together to a Passionist vocation.

Saint Gabriel Possenti Society

The Saint Archangel Possenti Society was a U.S.

organization promoting the public brownie points of Gabriel and lobbying bring back his designation by the Residence as the "patron saint slap hand gunners". The society was founded by gun lobbyistJohn Class. Snyder, who began his rearrangement in 1987.^[16]

According to the sing together, Gabriel's marksmanship and proficiency nuisance handguns allegedly saved the local of Isola del Gran Sasso in 1860.

This urban version says that he scared draw back a band of 20 General Red Shirts after shooting top-hole lizard at a distance. Archangel was reported to be organize the later stages of t.b. at the time.^[17][a]

See also

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