Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Francesco Possenti was born in Assisi on March 1, 1838, the eleventh of thirteen children of a government official. His mother died when he was four. Raised in Spoleto, he was a bright student, popular, fond of fashion, theater and dancing. Twice during serious illnesses he promised to enter religious life, and twice he forgot his promise.

In 1856, during a procession of an image of Our Lady in Spoleto, he felt Mary call him personally to leave the world. That year he entered the Passionists, taking the name Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. He became known for his cheerful obedience, his faithfulness in small things and his tender love for the Sorrowful Mother. While studying for the priesthood he contracted tuberculosis, and he died at Isola del Gran Sasso on February 27, 1862, at age twenty-three. He was canonized in 1920 and later named patron of Catholic youth in Italy and of the Abruzzo region.

His shrine at Isola del Gran Sasso in Abruzzo is one of the most visited in Italy, and thousands of high school students make a pilgrimage there about one hundred days before their final exams.

Passionist communities in Latin America, the Philippines and the United States promote his devotion, especially among young people.