February 27 is the feast day of St. Gabriel Possenti (1838-1862). When I was in 2nd grade, I developed a fondness for him after seeing images like this one above, as well as those of him in ecstasy before Our Lady of Sorrows. After his canonization Gabriel was declared the patron saint of youth, and so the older I got, the more my devotion intensified. I admired him not only for his devotion to the Sorrowful Mother, but because of the way he looked. Perhaps that sounds strange, but he has always been shown in poses of great ardor, a handsome young man - and his countenance moved my heart to devotion to the Passion of Christ.
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Born in Assisi, he was named after the town's patron, Francesco. In his teens, he became the center of attention amongst friends on account of his vivacious spirit - very much like his namesake, St. Francis. Frequenting parties, admired for his sense of fashion and dancing ability, he was extremely popular. Yet in the midst of much temptation, he preserved a sense of devotion and remained singularly chaste. After completion of his studies, young Francesco revealed his intention to enter the Passionists, surprising his family, while leaving his friends dumbfounded.
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Twice before his final decision to enter religious life, the young saint, who also suffered from poor health, promised Our Lady he would devote the rest of his life to God if she obtained his cure. Regaining his health, he twice forgot his promise. While attending a procession one day, he looked upon a banner bearing an image of Our Lady, the Madonna's eyes looked at him and he heard these words; "Keep your promise."
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The saint wasted no time and entered the novitiate of the Congregation of the Passion, taking the name Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. His life as a cleric was as ordinary as that of St. Therese of Lisieux, and like her, he died of consumption at the age of 24. He is a saint of the "little way".
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St. Gabriel is also very popular in this country with Catholic gun enthusiasts, since he happens to be the patron saint of hand-gunners. This is due to the fact he once drove a group of mercenaries from the town his monastery was located, Isola, Italy. St. Gabriel came to the defense of a young woman who was going to be sexually assaulted. Grabbing the soldier's gun, he held him at bay, shooting a lizard with one shot, the saint demonstrated his skilled marksmanship before the mockery of the insurgents. Stunned, the soldier let the girl go, while the other mercenaries were quickly persuaded to end the looting and extinguish the fires they had set. Afterwards, St. Gabriel drove them out of town, employing the guns he had confiscated from the soldiers. The townsfolk hailed him as a hero.
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