05/03/2023
Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, also known as Saint Gabriel Possenti, was an Italian Passionist seminarian who lived from 1838 to 1862. He was born in Assisi, Italy, and was the 11th of 13 children. From a young age, he showed a great love for prayer, the Eucharist, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
As a child and young man, Francesco Possenti (he was named ‘Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows’ when he joined the Passionists) was well-liked by his peers and had a reputation for great charity and piety. He was also known for the great care he took with regard to his appearance and would spend hours in preparing himself for parties. Francesco could be a difficult child and was liable to bouts of anger. Francesco was deeply involved with the social scene of Spoleto and soon earned for himself the nickname of "the dancer". He was a ladies' man and had several romantic involvements and on the night he left for the Passionists there were still hopes that he might become engaged to a local girl, Maria Panachetti, who was in love with him and who had been on several dates with him (this same girl later attended Gabriel's beatification and canonisation).
He was educated first by the Christian Brothers and then by the Jesuits in the town's college and there excelled, particularly in Latin. In 1851 Possenti became desperately ill and promised to enter religious life if he recovered. Once he had recovered, his promise was soon forgotten. The same thing happened when he narrowly escaped a stray bullet during a hunting expedition with friends. His brother Paul had died in 1848 and his brother Lawrence died by su***de in 1853. In 1853 Francesco again fell ill, this time afflicted with a throat abscess. He attributed his healing to the recently beatified Andrew Bobola. Once more he had promised to enter religious life upon his recovery and this time actually set the process in motion. He applied to join the Jesuits, but for some unknown reason never proceeded. Tragedy struck again when his sister, Mary Louisa, who had cared for Possenti after their mother's death, died of cholera.
When he was 18 years old, Gabriel joined the Passionists, a religious congregation founded by Saint Paul of the Cross. Possenti proved an excellent student and his excellence in academic life was only outdone by the great progress he was making in his spiritual life. At the same time, Possenti began to display the first symptoms of tuberculosis. The news did not worry Possenti who was, in fact, joyful; he had prayed for a slow death so as to be able to prepare himself spiritually. Throughout his illness, he remained cheerful and kept up all his usual practices. He was a source of great edification and inspiration to his fellow students, who sought to spend time with him at his deathbed. Possenti had proved himself an exemplary religious and a perfect follower of the Passionist Rule, being especially devoted to the Virgin Mary.
On his deathbed, he ordered his spiritual writings to be burnt for he feared they would tempt him to pride. Only his letters survive, alongside his ‘Resolutions’ which map the spiritual progress he made in his few years as a Passionist.
Before he could be ordained a priest, Possenti died in the retreat at Isola del Gran Sasso the early hours of 27 February 1862, in the presence of the community, holding close an image of Our Lady of Sorrows and smiling peacefully. Those who were with Possenti when he died reported that at the moment of death, he sat up in bed and his face became radiant as he reached out to an otherwise unseen figure that was entering the room. It was the opinion of Norbert that Possenti had seen the Virgin Mary at the very moment of his death.
After his death, many miracles were attributed to his intercession, and he was beatified by Pope Benedict XV in 1908, and later canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.
Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows is the patron saint of students, young people, and seminarians. His feast day is celebrated on February 27th. He is remembered as a model of humility, purity, and devotion to the Passion of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
