Part of the Field Guide to Flying Saints.

Saint Gemma Galgani

born: near Lucca, march 12, 1878

died: Lucca, april 11, 1903

Italian mystic, plagued by serious illnesses from an early age, which prevented her from joining the Passionst nuns. She was cured by a miracle. Well, there is nothing a good miracle can’t fix. She had visions of Christ, the Blessed Virgin her guardian angel. She experienced stigmatization and the sweat of blood, scourging and levitation; all phenomena of 'Christ's Passion'.

A witness recounts; ‘Blood came from her wounds in great abundance. When she was standing, it flowed to the ground, and when in bed it not only wet the sheets, but saturated the whole mattress. I measured some streams or pools of this blood, and they were from twenty to twenty-five inches long and about two inches wide.’

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Full flight, top and bottom view.

Wingspan: 1,56m

Weight (approx) : 58kg

Range and distribution: Italy

Color: black tunic

Special features: stigmata

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