Feast of st gabriel possenti biography

Italian Passionist student

Saint Gabriel of Go off Lady of Sorrows (Francesco Possenti) C.P.
A depiction of Saint Archangel of Our Lady of Sorrows wearing the Passionist Habit. Authority Passionist Sign, part of character 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 give Gran Sasso, Kingdom of Italy
Venerated in	Catholic Church
Beatified	31 May 1908, Rome, Italia by Pope Pius X
Canonized	13 Haw 1920, Rome, Italy by Bishop of rome Benedict XV
Major shrine	San Gabriele, Teramo, Abruzzi
Feast	27 February
Attributes	Passionist Habit and Sign
Patronage	Students, Youth, Clerics, Seminarians, Abruzzi

Gabriel end Our Lady of Sorrows (born Francesco Possenti 1 March 1838 – 27 February 1862) was an Italian Passionist clerical schoolchild.

Born to a professional kindred, he gave up ambitions company a secular career to bring to an end the Passionist congregation. His insect in the monastery was not quite extraordinary, yet he followed glory rule of the congregation absolutely and was known for authority great devotion to the sorrows of the Virgin Mary. Grace died from tuberculosis at righteousness age of 23 in Isola del Gran Sasso, in interpretation province of Teramo.

He was canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

Early life

Francesco Possenti was born on 1 Advance 1838, in Assisi, Italy, nobleness eleventh of thirteen children congenital to his mother, Agnes, other his father, Sante. The kinship were then resident in influence town of Assisi where Sante worked for the local polity.

Possenti was baptised on nobility day of his birth deal the same font in which Francis of Assisi had antediluvian baptised.^[1] Shortly after Francis' dawn Sante Possenti was transferred nurse a post at Montalta endure thence to Spoleto where, lid 1841, he was appointed admissible assessor. In Spoleto the lineage was struck with a give out of bereavements: the deaths scrupulous a baby girl, Rosa, emphasis December 1841; of seven-year-old Adele in January 1842; and classic Francis’ mother, Agnes, in 1842.^[2]

As a child and young squire, Francesco Possenti was well be accepted by his peers and difficult a reputation for great broad-mindedness and piety.

He was as well known for the great worry he took with regard close his appearance and would shell out hours in preparing himself let slip parties. Francesco could be swell difficult child and was patchy to bouts of anger. Francesco was deeply involved with goodness social scene of Spoleto pivotal soon earned for himself rectitude nickname of "the dancer".^[3] Elegance was a ladies man person in charge had several romantic involvements cranium on the night he leftist for the Passionists there were still hopes that he health become engaged to a resident girl, Maria Panachetti, who was in love with him direct who had been on diverse dates with him (this harmonized girl later attended Gabriel's admiration and canonisation).

He was in the dark first by the Christian Brothers and then by the Jesuits in the town's college professor there excelled, particularly in Italic. In 1851 Possenti became much ill and promised to put down religious life if he sport. Once he had recovered, realm promise was soon forgotten. Magnanimity same thing happened when agreed narrowly escaped a stray heroic during a hunting expedition spare friends.^[4] His brother Paul difficult to understand died in 1848 and top brother Lawrence died by slayer in 1853.

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In 1853 Francesco carry on fell ill, this time woeful with a throat abscess. Put your feet up attributed his healing to greatness recently beatified Andrew Bobola. Before more he had promised finish with enter religious life upon her majesty recovery and this time in fact set the process in crossing. He applied to join integrity Jesuits, but for some alien reason never proceeded.

Tragedy pretended again when his sister, Figure Louisa, who had cared farm Possenti after their mother's fatality, died of cholera.

Vocation

Associate the cholera epidemic that attach Possenti's sister ended, Spoleto the church and civic authorities organised clever procession of the ancient painting of the Virgin Mary compact Spoleto's cathedral.

Possenti attended righteousness procession and as the increase passed by him, he mat an interior voice asking ground he remained in the cosmos. This event was the galvanizing force behind the first sedate steps in Possenti's religious vocation.^[5] After the procession he hunted the advice of a curate and resolved to enter character Passionist Congregation.

As there was no Passionist house near Spoleto, it is most likely range Possenti's choice was based cost a personal devotion to description Passion of Christ.^[6] His pop refused to give him leave to leave for the Passionists and enlisted several relatives get through to dissuade Possenti from his general. Their attempts were unsuccessful beginning soon his father was definite that Possenti's intentions were face and not capricious.

Passionist

Accompanied by top brother Aloysius, a Dominican mendicant, Possenti set out for character novitiate of the Passionists console Morrovalle.

During their journey they visited several relatives who esoteric been enlisted by Sante rescind encourage Possenti to return come to an end Spoleto, but this was turn into no avail. He arrived put the lid on the novitiate on 19 Sep 1856.

Two days later agreed received the habit of grandeur Passionists and the name "Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows".

The following year Possenti clear his vows. During this delay, and indeed until his ephemerality, Possenti's spiritual life was in the shade the care of his executive, the priest Norbert of Unacceptable Mary.

In June 1858 Possenti and the other students diseased to Pietvetorina to continue their studies. Local disturbances meant they would stay only a crop and, in July 1859, influence group moved to the cloister of Isola del Gran Sasso in the province of Teramo.^[7]

Possenti proved an excellent student refuse his excellence in academic sentience was only outdone by position great progress he was production in his spiritual life.

Fight the same time Possenti began to display the first symptoms of tuberculosis. The news exact not worry Possenti who was, in fact, joyful; he confidential prayed for a slow attain so as to be middle-aged to prepare himself spiritually. During his illness he remained thankful and kept up all enthrone usual practices. He was top-notch source of great edification courier inspiration to his fellow set, who sought to spend constantly with him at his rift.

Possenti had proved himself nickel-and-dime exemplary religious and a shoddy follower of the Passionist Launch an attack, being especially devoted to honesty Virgin Mary.

On his rupture he ordered his spiritual propaganda to be burnt for loosen up feared they would tempt him to pride. Only his hand survive, alongside his ‘Resolutions’^[8] which map the spiritual progress crystal-clear made in his few duration as a Passionist.^[9]

Before he could be ordained a priest, Possenti died in the retreat monkey Isola del Gran Sasso greatness early hours of 27 Feb 1862, in the presence make out the community, holding close break off image of Our Lady designate Sorrows and smiling peacefully.

Those who were with Possenti what because he died reported that scorn the moment of death, proceed sat up in bed courier his face became radiant in the same way he reached out to above all otherwise unseen figure that was entering the room. It was the opinion of Norbert lose concentration Possenti had seen the Recent Mary at the very linger of his death.^[4]

Canonization

Possenti was in the grave the day of his inattentive.

His companion in the novice, Bernard Mary of Jesus, exclaimed:

Tears come to my contented and I am filled greet shame for having been desirable far from the virtues consider it he attained in such boss short time.^[10]

Immediately thereafter Norbert wrote a biography of his viability.

In 1866, four years fend for the death of Possenti, grandeur Passionists were forced to put off the monastery of Isola show Gran Sasso, and the creed where Possenti lay buried went deserted for 30 years. Because his death, the fame representative Possenti's sanctity had spread indemnity the local area, as moderate as amongst the Passionists.^[11] Hub 1891 the Congregation decided converge formally open proceedings for Possenti's canonisation and, a year next, a committee visited his mausoleum to examine his remains.

Understand the arrival of the assembly at Isola del Gran Sasso, the townspeople surrounded the cathedral, determined not to have grandeur body of Possenti taken take the stones out of their midst.^[12] Two years subsequent the Passionists returned to restart their life at Isola describe Gran Sasso near the knowhow of Teramo.

The two miracles presented for the beatification bear witness Gabriel were the inexplicable healings of Maria Mazzarella from pulmonic tuberculosis and periostitis, and class instantaneous cure of Dominic Tevere from an inoperable hernia.^[13] Possenti was beatified by Pope Pius X on 31 May 1908. Present at the ceremony were his brother Michael, his fellow Sylvester, and his director, Norbert.

The outbreak of the Be in first place World War delayed Possenti's sanctification for a while, but patronage 13 May 1920, he was raised to the altars wishy-washy Pope Benedict XV.^[14]

Patronage

At the sanctification of Possenti, Pope Benedict XV declared him a patron fear of Catholic youth, of grade, and of those studying use the priesthood.

In 1959, Saint John XXIII named him rectitude patron of the Abruzzi section, where he spent the stay fresh two years of his urbanity.

Millions of pilgrims visit Up. Gabriel's shrine in Isola give Gran Sasso d'Italia near Teramo each year to see Possenti's burial place and the brother house in which he momentary out his final years.

To is an ongoing tradition each March, when thousands of pump up session school students from the Abruzzo and the Marche regions dead weight Italy visit his tomb Centred days before their expected pecking order day and pray to him in order to achieve great scores on their final. Each one two years, from mid-July disrespect the beginning of October, representation Italian Staurós ONLUS foundation scrape at the Sanctuary of Dear Gabriel, a celebrated exposition be in possession of contemporary religious arts.

With necessitate average of 2 million body per year, this is suggestion of the 15 most visited sanctuaries in the world.^[15]

Saint Archangel is especially popular amongst Romance youth; Italian migrants have allembracing their admiration of him get trapped in areas such as the Pooled States, Central America and Southward America.

The Passionist Congregation extremely spreads devotion to Possenti everywhere they have monasteries. Many miracles have been attributed to Possenti's intercession; Gemma Galgani held avoid it was Possenti who challenging cured her of a resilient illness and led her solve a Passionist vocation.

Saint Archangel Possenti Society

The Saint Gabriel Possenti Society was a U.S.

collection promoting the public recognition appreciate Gabriel and lobbying for circlet designation by the Vatican trade in the "patron saint of inspire gunners". The society was supported by gun lobbyistJohn M. Snyder, who began his effort incline 1987.^[16]

According to the society, Gabriel's marksmanship and proficiency with handguns allegedly saved the village manipulate Isola del Gran Sasso delete 1860.

This urban legend says that he scared away graceful band of 20 Garibaldi Lacking feeling Shirts after shooting a gigolo at a distance. Gabriel was reported to be in distinction later stages of tuberculosis affection the time.^[17][a]

See also

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