St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows entered the Passionist religious community as a young man after living a fairly worldly life. Though he died at a young age, his courageous faithfulness demonstrated the heroic virtue he had already developed.
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Who Was Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows?
St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows entered the Passionist religious community as a young man after living a fairly worldly life. Though he died at a young age, his courageous faithfulness demonstrated the heroic virtue he had already developed. Pray this novena for young people, students, priests, and Catholic Action.
St Gabriel was born Francesco Possenti on March 1st, 1838, in Assisi (home of St Francis), the eleventh of thirteen children.
Multiple siblings and then his mother died when he was a little boy. He went to a Jesuit school but as a teenager enjoyed dancing and parties more than prayer and devotion.
After getting seriously ill twice, and witnessing trials and tragedies within his own family, he resolved to amend his life and enter the Passionists.
He lived the Rule of the Passionists simply and faithfully, showing great consideration for others, for the poor, and being devoted to prayer (in spite of not having extraordinary graces in this area).
As a young religious, one day in Piedmont, Italy, he encountered a group of men attacking a girl. He disarmed one of the mercenaries, who were armed, and then expertly shot a lizard some distance away. His fearless courage and skill daunted the gang of men, who fled the village.
St Gabriel contracted tuberculosis and died on February 27th, 1862, at age 24.
He was beatified on May 31st, 1908, by Pope Pius X and canonized on May 13th, 1920, by Pope Benedict XV.
St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows is the patron saint of young people, priests, students, Catholic Action, and Abruzzi, Italy.
His feastday is February 27th.