Today is my Patron Saint’s Day – St. Gemma Galgani (12 March 1878 – 11 April 1903). For those who don’t know her, she was an Italian mystic from Lucca who passed away at 25 years old, gifted with the stigmata (like Padre Pio) – signs of her intimate union with our Lord in the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection. For more on her, you can visit this site: http://www.stgemma.comRecalling how I chose her (or how she chose me!) to be my patron: before my religious profession ages ago, I thought of honoring my Father, Geminiano, who passed away when I was a novice. I was “Papa’s girl” and was so close to him but I know I gave him a great heartache by entering the convent immediately after college without his approval. I somehow wanted to “make up” to him and carry his “presence” with me in living out my vocation. He, in fact, admitted in very simple words what my vocation meant to him: “when I see you, I remember God.”
While a novice, I looked around for the female version of Geminiano and in reading the books of Fr. James Alberione, the Founder of my Congregation, I came across the name Gemma Galgani several times. Reading about her life, I was attracted by her simplicity and her passionate love for our Lord. At that time, I also started correspondence with an Italian Sister Disciple, by the name of Sr. Gemma dal Massetto, the auntie of Sr. M. Tiziana, the sister who admitted me in the Congregation and accompanied me in the initial stage of my vocational journey.
When I made my profession of vows in 1983, Sr. Gemma sent me a souvenir of her 50th Jubilee of Profession, explaining that it was also the Jubilee Year of St. Gemma Galgani’s canonization. That was actually how she got her profession name too. It dawned on me then that I wasn’t only choosing St. Gemma as my Patron, but that I was also “being chosen” by her. I got the confirmation that my name is “grounded on love” (for my Father) but also “decided in heaven” (by my Patron Saint).
My Patron Saint helps me grow in Paschal spirituality: the Feast of St. Gemma actually fluctuates between Holy Week and Easter Week. One year it could be “Passiontide” (she died on a Holy Saturday), another year it could be “Eastertide.” I guess that this is one way of teaching me what a great honor it is to serve the Lord, to share in his sufferings so as to participate in his resurrection (Phil 3:10).
