CHAPTER XXVII

Lucca’s New Convent of the Passionist Nuns

THIS ANGELIC maiden so enamored of heavenly things was necessarily out of her element in the world. Hence she was often heard to exclaim: “O how could I remain in the world where everything is so insupportable? Take me, take me from the world where I cannot trust myself any longer.” And to her director she said: “I implore of you in the name of Jesus, come and shut me in, the world is not for me.”

These expressions of her anguish frequently recurred in her letters. God Himself, in order no doubt to try His servant, let her understand that such a step would gratify Him, and spoke to her heart in the sense that she would certainly be a religious, if the persons, on whom the execution of His good pleasure depended, would carry out what He had disposed. And as this child of heaven saw that it was not being done, she toiled for years to bring it about; and towards the end of her life she suffered a veritable agony until Our Lord told her to put aside all disquietude and every thought of the matter.

The first impulse towards the cloister, sent her from heaven, was in 1899 when she lay near death in her own home. This fact is certified by a certain Letitia Bertuccelli, servant in the Galgani family. I give it just as she told it me after Gemma’s death: “On entering the room of the sick child one night, I beheld her all surrounded by a light and someone standing by her. Terrified, because I thought it was an apparition of her father, who had died a short time before in the same room and bed, I went to awake her Aunt. She did not get up, thinking that I was under a delusion, and I returned trembling to Gemma’s room and found her in the same way, and the same person, a lady, with her. I had not courage to look at her, and drew back in fear; then hearing them talk to one another I got behind the door to listen, trembling all the while.”

The lady said: “Gemma, once you had the intention to become a nun; would you become one now?”

And Gemma said: “Yes certainly if the Madonna will help me; but I am so poor and sick”—and the lady rejoined: “If you do not find means to enter a convent, persons will not be wanting who will succor thee and enable thee to live.”

Then again Gemma said: “Yes, yes, and then the Will of God be done.” When the vision was over I went in, and Gemma said that the Madonna had been to visit her, and forbade me to say anything during her life of what I had seen. Two days later she recovered.

To avoid needless repetition here I must refer my readers to CHAPTER VI where full particulars are given of Gemma entering the Convent of the Visitandines and having to leave.

Her Confessor thought also of the Capuchin Sisters, the Teresians, the Servites, and other austere Institutes. But she always said: “I go if they decide, but my heart tells me that Jesus does not wish me where they say. Whatever they do they will not succeed. Jesus seems to have another idea.”

And they never did succeed, as, whatever steps were taken, things always fell through for one reason or another. The only Convent that seemed to satisfy all Gemma’s desires was that of the Passionist Nuns. She came to know these Religious through reading the life of Blessed Gabriel of the Dolours, and it would appear that by this Servant of God she had, in vision, been given hopes of becoming one of their number. Thenceforward she evinced no other desire, and continued to sigh at our Lord’s feet for that Institute only. There existed then only one house of Passionist Nuns in Italy—at Corneto, a hundred kilometers from Rome and two hundred and seventy from Lucca.

What was to be done? She thought and thought, asked advice, and resolved to go there for a course of spiritual exercises. She accordingly with three companions from Lucca made a formal request to that effect. The Superior, although a woman of very large mind and heart, answered, God so permitting it, in these resolute words: “Let the three come, but not Gemma; and mind, if they bring her with them, we shall not allow her to enter.”

That good Mother who had heard much of Gemma in a wrong sense, had probably thought she was one of those hysterical and deluded girls who do not do well in communities. The unexpected refusal was made known to Gemma who felt it intensely but was not irritated by it; nay, on hearing some of the family grumbling about it, she said: “Oh why should we speak like this? Don’t blame the Mother President (this is how the Passionists name the Superior in their houses) I instead wish her so well that when I go to paradise she shall be the first I will go to meet and salute. And speaking to a friend of a dream she had she said: “I recognized the Mother President in my dream. She looked at me so severely! I feel so well disposed towards her, and she does not want me.”

Gemma however, feeling persuaded that it was her vocation, did not give up the idea of becoming a Passionist. She failed with the President of Corneto, and at the same time formed a close friendship with a Mother of that Community. She wrote letters to her on subjects of exalted mystic theology and always ended them with some emphatic expression touching her great desire:

“Take me with you into the convent; I will be good. Make me happy. I have no money; I am very poor, but I will try to do good service as a lay sister. Rest assured I know how to do something (see what child-like simplicity). I know how to sweep, and wash the plates, and help in the kitchen, and I have good strength for any kind of fatiguing work. Take me and please Jesus.” And in another letter: “I know that the father is at Corneto. Say lots of things to him from me. Tell him to put me in the convent with you. I will obey him always, and do nothing of my own initiative. I will tell you everything and do what you wish. I feel in my wrong place, Mother, in the world. Tell the father to pray most earnestly, and then decide, for in a short time it will be too late” She wrote with the same haste and also in a spirit of greater abandonment to me:” Be quick father; listen to Jesus; otherwise you will not be in time.”

Meanwhile people began to discuss the foundation of a convent of Passionist Nuns in the City of Lucca itself. Gemma was filled with joy at this, and felt almost sure that she was about to realize the object she so long desired. What did she not do to stimulate all who were interested in this holy undertaking to confide in Our Lord, and not allow themselves to be deterred by difficulties. Nay, to draw fresh impulse from the difficulties themselves!

“Jesus wishes it,” she used to say, “and what Jesus wills must succeed. Make haste, set the work in hand.” Those however who judged the matter with perhaps too much human prudence, of whom I confess I was one, were not satisfied with such arguments and procrastinated. “How is it possible,” they said, “to found a convent of Papal enclosure without money? The house must be purchased, adapted and furnished. And where is the needful for the support of the Religious to be found?”

At the expiration of two years of assiduous efforts to find what was necessary only about two thousand francs were collected, and the diocesan rules required a deposit of ten thousand francs for each Sister. At Corneto also it was determined that none of the Sisters should leave that convent for another foundation unless their maintenance was provided for. Gemma, for all that, insisted: “Be careful, father, how you act. Jesus is dissatisfied with your want of confidence, as if He could not provide all in an instant. Begin and you will see that Jesus knows how to act.”

In the meantime accompanied by her inseparable benefactress, she went through all the streets of Lucca seeking and inquiring to try and find a suitable house for the object in view, or at least a piece of ground on which a convent might be built. In March, 1901, as if she had already done and provided everything she wrote to the already-mentioned Passionist Religious of Corneto as follows: “It gave me such consolation to hear how you also say that Jesus wills the new Convent! That is true, Jesus wills it, and will soon give you this consolation.”

And again: “Monsignor has said that someone must come and speak to the Archbishop so as to arrive at a settlement. Here we have even eight thousand francs, and there are several buildings that will be sold or let as Superiors think best. But if they go to sleep! Enough; let us hope for the best. May Jesus deign to hide me somewhere, even from myself.”

And in another letter, alluding to me, she said: “If our good father were to decide and do what Jesus wills (and you know what it is) all would be accomplished. Let us pray that Jesus may give him grace to overcome his timidity. You must also encourage him, for he needs it; remove his fears. Poor father! He need not fear in the least.”

At learning these things I writhed as it were in thorns, and besought His Divine Majesty to open to me some way of acting; but months passed and no light was given me! At the same time Our Lord, in order to excite the fervor of His Servant more and more, and move her to prayer and action, showed her the great esteem He had of the Passionist Sisters, the glory He would derive from the new foundation in Lucca, and the good they would do there.

On one occasion He appeared to her in the same way as I have described in the foregoing chapter, and, repeating that the justice of His Heavenly Father had need of victims, added: “How often have I not withheld it, presenting to Him a group of loved souls and generous victims! Their penances, their hardships, their heroic acts have restrained it. Now again I have presented Him with victims; but they are few.”

She asked Him who they were, and He said: “They are the daughters of My Passion. If you only knew how often I have seen My Father relent as I offered them to Him.” And He ended with these words: “Write at once to thy father, tell him to go to Rome and speak to the Pope of this desirable work; let him say that a great chastisement is threatened and victims are needed.”

Even in her ecstasies this fixed idea of the new convent and her hope to enter it were often manifested: “O Jesus, the

Confessor tells me to persist in asking Thee for the convent that he so longs to see founded. You must see to this. You keep Thy promise. Is it not so? Then see to it, and be quick.”

Thus Gemma had not the least doubt of the work succeeding. Jesus, the Heavenly Mother, and Blessed Gabriel had spoken to her so clearly on this matter that she felt certain of it. They had even explained to her in detail the ways and means by which it was to be accomplished; and now, after her death, all is being verified exactly as she foretold.

The foundation, she said, would be completed shortly after the Beatification of Venerable Gabriel of the Dolours, and the Pope, the Bishop, a Consultor-General of the Passionists and their General himself, exhorted by the said Consultor, would combine to effect it. Also another father would be sent by the Provincial of the Roman Province to Lucca to take necessary steps; the devil would use violent and persistent efforts to hinder the holy work by raising such difficulties as to make its success seem impossible; but finally, the work being started, the very persons who previously opposed it would declare in its favor, and all would be glad to see it established. She also made a last prophecy, already referred to, that had to wound her own heart.

“Decide at once,” she said, “for very soon it will be too late. Jesus will not wait any longer, and He has said that He will take me to Himself, if within six months the work is not begun. My Heavenly Mother cured me of that dangerous illness (I shall have to speak of this in the next chapter) but on condition that the convent be built. If it is not started without delay, she will soon cause me to fall sick and will take me with her.”

Finally God made known to her that the requisite conditions would not be fulfilled and she had to be resigned. “What I have gone through this morning,” these are her words. “I cannot explain. I shall only say that I felt a great impulse to cry. I ran away to my room to be more free there and alone, and I cried a great deal. At last I exclaimed: ‘Fiat volzmtas tua!’ But those tears were not of grief; they were of perfect resignation?

The fiat was spoken; Gemma thought no more of being a Religious; she ceased to speak of it, and occupied herself solely in preparing for death, which came, as she had foretold, in six months. God was satisfied with His faithful servant’s desire and with the merit of the sacrifice she had so generously made. She had already as an act of private devotion made the vows of Religious Profession. She was a Religious and Passionist in mind and spirit and bore the stigmata of His Passion on her body. She was then lit to leave this world, well satisfied and full of joy at having perfectly attained the end for which God placed her in it.

No sooner had the seraphic child breathed her last than remorse set in on all sides, and good reason there was for it. Remorse was followed by an awakening, and without further delay the work was begun. I remembered the intimation given me a year before: “Go to Rome, and speak to the Pope.” And I went and spoke to His Holiness Pius X recently raised to the Pontificate. He listened to me most cordially, was pleased with the project of the work, and taking up his pen he wrote his full approval. The precious document runs thus:

“We bless with paternal affection the foundation of the New Convent of Passionist Nuns in the City of Lucca; also Our Venerable Brother Nicholas Ghilardi (Archbishop of Lucca) who is praiseworthily promoting it; the Rev. Mother Maria Giuseppa del Cuor de Gesu who is to be its first Superior; all the benefactors who have concurred and who will co-operate henceforth in its establishment and the Religious present and future who shall take part in it.

“We wish the above-mentioned pious virgins, in all their prayers, penances, devout practices, and other exercises prescribed by the Institute, to hold as a special object of their community, that of offering themselves as victims to Our Lord for the spiritual and temporal needs of the church and of the Pope.”

From the Vatican the 2nd of October, 1903
Pope Pius X

Gemma had told the truth; Jesus had spoken to the heart of His Vicar, and according to what He Himself had made known to His Servant in vision, He willed that the Pope should solemnly declare it a duty of the Religious of the new convent to offer themselves as victims of expiation for the good of the church.

With this venerable document in hand, I presented myself at Lucca and at Corneto, and made progress. Two other Pontifical letters soon followed to the Archbishop of Lucca and the Bishop of Corneto, to strengthen the measures I had taken, and the foundation was decided upon. It is notable that the Pope himself named as Superior of the new House, precisely That nun of Corneto to whom Gemma wrote those words: “Jesus will give you this consolation.”

The question of money arose again and was delaying things; then a third letter came from the Pope to the Apostolic Administrator of Lucca, the see being then vacant, and removed every difficulty. Two Choir Sisters and one Lay Sister left the convent of Corneto for Lucca in March, 1905, two years after Gemma’s death.

The enemy has striven in vain to raise obstacles and even persecution on all sides; the work continues to progress; and whereas so many other Communities of old standing in Lucca find it difficult to get novices, this new one increases and multiplies. Up to quite lately the Religious had to put up with a temporary building, not being able, in spite of well-grounded anticipations, to establish themselves in the home they had already acquired. And thus is verified Gemma’s prediction that the foundation of the Convent, begun some time before the solemn Beatification of Venerable Gabriel of the Dolours, would be completed shortly after it. This Beatification was celebrated in the year 1908 on the 31st of May, and only two months later, on the 31st of July, full possession of the new convent was given to the Sisters by the former proprietors; precisely as Gemma had foretold.

The Institute of the Passionist Nuns was founded by St Paul of the Cross, who gave them the same rules and habit, the same penitential spirit and aim of life that he had already given to his brethren the Passionists. Choir, day and night, meditation and work give theme constant occupation. Although having Papal enclosure, they may, with the consent of the Parish priest, instruct little children in Christian Doctrine at the Grille; and at fixed times during the year they are allowed to receive into the enclosure young girls in preparation for their first Communion, and others for the Retreat of the spiritual exercises. All these things and the angelic life led by these Religious were immensely pleasing to Gemma and made her regard as blessed those who belonged to such an Institute. Hence a great act of resignation was needed at seeing herself deprived of such a happy lot.

The holy virgins St Rose of Viterbo and Gemma found themselves in similar circumstances. The former when rejected by the Franciscans of that City said: “They will not have me alive, but they shall have me when dead.” Gemma said the same thing when she had pronounced her generous fiat: “The Passionists have not wished to receive me, and for all that I wish to be with them, and I shall be so when I am dead.”

Certainly if God gives me life, and Holy Church in her infallible judgment declares the sanctity of this new servant of God, I hope to see those words of Gemma verified. Then the daughters of St Paul of the Cross in Lucca will tell positively how the true foundress and patroness of their Convent in that City is the Virgin Gemma Galgani.