The Spiritual Friendship of Elena Guerra and Gemma Galgani

"Spiritual friendship does not arise from sympathy or self-interest, but only from a holy love for God, which enables us to see the souls dear to Him as our own sisters," are the words of Saint Elena Guerra, written in her book Rebirth in the Holy Spirit.

Today, we remember two great saints and friends. Elena Guerra was the teacher and mentor to Gemma Galgani; coming from the same Italian city of Lucca – different, yet united in their holy love for God.

When God sends signs, coincidences doesn't exist. The two of them died 11 years apart, on the exact same date, April 11th, and both on Holy Saturday. Symbolic, yet profoundly intriguing, because statistically, Holy Saturday falls on the same date only a few times in an entire century. God's timing with these two women is extraordinary; His message of spiritual friendship through their lives is very important.

There are many dimensions and areas we could connect, both individually and collectively, regarding the relationship between Elena and Gemma. However, in this text, we will learn about their biographies and reflect on their spiritual friendship. These personal reflections will help illuminate our own friendships.

Elena grew up in a wealthy and large family. Their grand house was located in the center of the old town of Lucca, right across from the Church of St. Augustine, where her body rests today. Despite her family's wealth, she had many crosses and illnesses, and was bedridden for years. She suffered a lot, but she used this heavy burden to study the Italian and Latin languages. Elena wisely recognized that when God distances a soul from the world, He is preparing it for something new, urging it toward silent listening and contemplation. In this way, God equips the soul, because when He removes it from the world, He desires to draw it closer to Himself. She called this time her hermitage – a beautiful name for something that, in worldly eyes, is not beautiful at all. In this hermitage, she learned much; she read the Bible and the writings of the Church Fathers, and later in life, she authored over seventy books, mostly in her old age. She felt immense gratitude toward her mother, Faustina, who, realizing the importance of raising children in the Catholic spirit, decided to homeschool Elena. This good seed of upbringing fell on the fertile soil of those very same rooms in their family home, where Elena, feeling a burning zeal for teaching, later founded a school for girls. There, alongside general academics, she imparted the teachings of the Catholic Church so that the girls would grow and mature in an authentic Catholic spirit.

She believed that a woman, well-educated and spiritually formed, could change society.

Through reading and discerning, she felt the guidance of the Holy Spirit, knowing that by her own knowledge and capacities alone, she could not serve God. She founded the Congregation of the Oblate Sisters of the Holy Spirit. After her father's death, Divine Providence ensured that her family home became a convent for the sisters and a school for girls. She did not stop there. She was in contact with Pope Leo XIII, and later with John XXIII. Interestingly, both were also Secular Franciscans. She wrote letters to Leo XIII, urging him to lead the Church back into the „Upper Room" (Cenacle), arguing that Pentecost is still ongoing. She desired to inspire the pope to renew the Church's devotion to the Third Divine Person, who had been largely neglected. In her first letter, she posed a serious question:

„Our preachers preach about all the Saints, but when will we hear a sermon honoring the Holy Spirit–the One who moulds all those Saints?"

The pope responded to her, and not merely privately, but with a papal document (Breve) addressed to the entire Catholic Church, mandating that a Novena to the Holy Spirit be prayed every year between the Ascension and Pentecost. It is a unique phenomenon in the Church that an ordinary religious sister from the provinces, with no official power, could influence papal decisions and worldwide liturgy. But she went a step further, influencing the pope's encyclical Divinum illud munus, which theologically explained everything Elena had written in her letters about the Holy Spirit. Today, it remains one of the Church's most important encyclicals on the Third Divine Person. Pope John XXIII called her the Apostle of the Holy Spirit. Many believe that the worldwide Catholic Charismatic Renewal began precisely thanks to Elena Guerra. But what often goes unnoticed is – if everything has a deeper meaning – that this same renewal began with the blessing of Leo XIII, and later John XXIII, both of whom belonged to the Secular Franciscan Order before their papacies; and Saint Francis of Assisi called the Holy Spirit the „General Minister of his Order."

God's timing and the guidance of the Holy Spirit connect and orchestrate times, people, and missions in a unique and miraculous way.

Thus, they connected Elena Guerra with Gemma Galgani. Elena, who was known for her courage and called the Apostle of the Holy Spirit, became a saint by responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, through which God's grace multiplied within her, as she wrote in her book. Equally vital to her holiness was her humility. Despite everything she had achieved in human eyes – founding a school and an order, donating her home, and yielding the fruits of her labor for the Church – toward the end of her life, her own sisters demanded her removal as the Mother Superior. She refused to yield in her core mission, holding firmly to the convictions upon which she founded the congregation, even though they called her old-fashioned. Elena remained true to herself, to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and to her spiritual direction. In profound humility, she accepted her removal from office and spent the rest of her life as an ordinary sister. It was precisely in this ordinariness that God tested her. She knew well that she was merely an instrument God had used, and that it was He who gave and took away. For her, such a situation could have been a humiliation filled with bitterness, but Elena viewed it as an exercise in humility and fidelity. Her courage inspires, but the gesture of her stepping down and her example of littleness touch the heart, offering new perspectives on God's plans and the trials along the path to holiness.

Gemma Galgani, by all spiritual and physical measures, was entirely different from Elena. A small, fragile girl, she was orphaned early and cared for her seven brothers and sisters, who often misunderstood her. Her house in Lucca was only a few hundred meters away from Elena Guerra's home. After her parents died, Gemma attended Elena's school. Elena prepared her for her First Holy Communion and Confirmation. They often spent time together, talking as they walked the streets of the city. One was strong, the other fragile. Gemma was of poor health; she suffered from spinal tuberculosis and meningitis. After persistent prayer, she was miraculously healed, yet she remained delicate. In the house where she lived, Gemma experienced her first mystical encounter with Jesus. It was there she received the stigmata – the wounds of Christ. She suffered immensely, physically feeling the Passion of Jesus.

„At that moment, Jesus appeared with His wounds open. Blood no longer flowed from those wounds, but flames of fire touched my hands, feet, and heart. I felt as though I were dying. I fell to the floor," Gemma wrote in her Diary.

She often tried to stay awake in prayer, but out of sheer weakness, she would fall asleep, waking up the next morning consumed with remorse. When she grew a little older, the prominent Giannini family recognized her holiness and, alongside their many children, adopted Gemma. Their home, known today as „Casa Giannini", is located at the other end of the old town, yet not far from where Gemma grew up. The Giannini family was deeply devout; in their dining room, they had a wooden cabinet with a large crucifix. They would open the cabinet during prayer, and today, in that very dining room, directly beneath that cabinet, sits Gemma's chair and the kneeler where she spent hours meditating on the Lord's Passion. On the upper floor of the house, the library and the room where she spent most of her time remain exactly as they were during her stay. These are the places where Jesus appeared to her, offered her His crown of thorns, and where she experienced her mystical marriage with Him. She spent the last years of her life there, living only to the age of twenty-five. She had a profound devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. She frequently had visions of Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, a young Passionist from Assisi who shared this devotion. They would pray together; he kept her awake. Not only him, but also Gemma's guardian angel, who guided her on the path of holiness and reprimanded her for her failings. The suffering Gemma endured was indescribable; the sacrifice she bore was immeasurable. An orphan, alone and often judged, locked in her little room and united with Christ in pain. Unlike Elena, she did not write books, but she did write her Diary. It did not have many pages, but it aggravated satan so much that he attempted to burn it on several occasions. Reading her words, where she confesses her own sins and failings, the reader becomes painfully aware of their own. The Diary is still preserved today, bearing the visible scorch marks of the fire. She endured severe demonic attacks; the evil one assaulted her in various ways, and even when she was a child, a priest remarked that she was a child pursued and deeply oppressed by demons. Through her weaknesses, she fought against evil, and today, the fragile Gemma Galgani is a saint whose very name makes demons flee.

God's designs in permitting tribulations hold a deeper meaning that only great souls, immersed in Divine Wisdom, can comprehend.

God allowed Gemma to be attacked by demons, but He stood by her, granting her strength and sending angels and saints – both those from heaven and those on earth, like Elena – to guide her. Yet neither saints nor angels helped her as much as the spiritual direction of her confessor. Great is the importance of a priest's dedication to guiding souls toward holiness, their understanding, and their readiness to lead. God permitted it all so that, through her sacrifice, we would have a patroness in the spiritual battle against evil, a model of devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, and proof that God sometimes chooses the most fragile and sickly beings to manifest His power and works. During her life, Gemma sought to enter religious orders and become a nun, but she was repeatedly rejected due to her illness. The rejections broke her heart, yet she accepted them. Gemma belonged nowhere and had no one, and yet, she belonged entirely to Christ – He became her Spouse.

Frequently, both Gemma and Elena would mention the word recollect, meaning to „gather oneself." They emphasized the vital importance of the evening examination of conscience, meditating on the Holy Scripture, listening, and trying to discern the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

For women, taking time for rest, silence, and "reordering" oneself is especially crucial. Today, this is often done through modern methods of organizing homes and closets, popularly known as decluttering.

A declutter is necessary for a beautiful home atmosphere, but even more so for a burdened soul.

Discarding the old excess actually creates space for the new. Many liberations and true freedoms arise when we decide to live more simply. Having fewer clothes means less folding and ironing; having fewer dishes means less washing; having fewer superficial pious practices means experiencing the true works of God more deeply; having fewer toxic friends makes it easier to cultivate genuine bonds of spiritual friendship – with less justifying, postponing, and getting hurt. Less scrolling on social media means strengthening real human connections.

When the filtered template of digital connections is replaced by the raw template of real life, the image of creation and everything given to us reflects what life truly is – a gift.

What we undoubtedly need more of is time scheduled in the calendar for ourselves. Time used in harmony with our personality and character – our unique way of finding peace. For some women, that is coffee and a heartfelt conversation; for others, it's buying clothes or healthy groceries, embarking on a trip or a pilgrimage, silence and prayer, reading books with a glass of wine, or watching a movie in the embrace of loved ones. Forcing oneself into the molds of others is a missed opportunity for true rest. The four walls of a room are freedom for some, and a prison for others.

Elena and Gemma are models of holiness – possessing different spiritualities, yet sharing an equal love for God.

The world probably said of Elena then, and might still say today, that she was wealthy and lived off her father's merits, a lazy woman who just read the Bible and refused to snap out of her illness. They might say she was arrogant for writing letters to the pope, stubborn for not giving up, proud for refusing to step down when asked to change, and a reckless mentor and teacher.

Elena was fully aware of the obstacles and the sacrifices she was making. She wrote:

„God desires open hearts that can receive and endure every sacrifice."

Of Gemma, the world probably said then, and might still say today, that she was possessed, delusional, and unstable. By human standards, she was not strong, consistent, or composed enough. Her recollecting was frequently unsuccessful. They might say she faked her illnesses, took advantage of a rich family, and should have been proactive for her faith instead of constantly staying locked in her room.

Gemma was deeply aware that she was weak and sinful. She trusted that God knew what He was doing as she patiently suffered and bore her sacrifice, writing:

„I made a thousand promises to Jesus that morning, oh my God, how quickly I forgot them!"

These are the words of Gemma, a woman who literally endured the Passion of Christ on her own body.

Different sacrifices and different paths to holiness are completely authentic and special, because for some, the catalyst will be Elena, and for others, Gemma, or many other saints.

Their friendship defied the standards of society. The teacher, Elena, was 43 years older than her student. Yet, the student was canonized a saint before her teacher. Elena suffered immensely over the death of her friend, her little Gemma, whom she considered extraordinarily special. She would often mention Gemma as a role model to the other girls, and today, Elena's own sisters are introducing Elena to new generations.

The city of Lucca was home to early Christian communities and dioceses. Underground basilicas and massive churches bear witness to its rich history, which is why it is called Città delle 100 chiese – the City of 100 Churches. Today, walking the streets of Lucca feels like a half-empty walk. It is as if time stood still, as if those two saints never existed or walked those very cobblestones. As if the city does not hide secrets of profound wisdom and strength. Families with children are rarely seen on the streets; the joyful play of kids has been replaced by dogs, and every store seems to sell food for kittens and puppies. On many doors, a carved IHS reflects the deep faith of those who once lived there. Today, it is merely visually preserved antiquity. The two grand churches – the sanctuaries that house the bodies of these two saints – are not visited as much as they could be. Entering the old town and the rooms where they lived conceals special graces and revelations.

Lucca is more than just a city; it is a harbor of peace in life's storms, especially for women. Alongside Elena and Gemma, Saint Zita also lived here, and her body is preserved in the chapel of the Basilica of San Frediano. Zita was a domestic servant who dedicated her entire life to serving others. Her body has remained incorrupt for over 750 years. Alongside these three stands Maria Domenica Barbantini, who was a wife and a mother. While pregnant with her first child, her husband died, and later, she lost her son as well. She did not surrender to despair; she recognized the suffering Christ in all who suffered and chose to act. She founded the Ministers of the Sick of St. Camillus (Camillian Sisters), who serve the sick and the dying.

Lucca is a special place. Lucca has suffered and fallen silent. Lucca is a place of emotion, strength, and faith.

Seemingly cold on the outside, but holy on the inside. Just like many women today.

After Lucca, coexistence with the women around us should be simpler, filled with solidarity and a gaze that recognizes the beauty of a woman, despite all surface flaws and temperaments.

Some women did not have the privilege of living in comfort, or the opportunity to be loved and raised in stable family environments. They could grow; their wounded nature stunted their growth. Wounds prevailed, and their shields grew thicker. Instead of fighting for themselves, they possessed a shield by default. Some women – in fact, most – need an opportunity to build their character, to strengthen themselves, to refuse to settle for less, and to find the courage to pursue what is truly valuable.

Humility, as Tomislav Ivančić says, is knowing who you are and where you stand – not degrading yourself, but taking your rightful place in the world.

These saints, each uniquely different in her virtues and sufferings, took their rightful places at various positions within their city.

Like an army, they guard it, and they still travel the world, because through their lives, God wrote a story that leaves a lasting mark, paving the way for new steps, new consecrated women, and new footprints.

Their holy love for God connects them with us today.

In discerning true spiritual friendships – sisters on our journey who lead us closer to God – let us pray to these saints.

Soon, a group of women are heading out on a pilgrimage whose route begins with a visit to Elena and Gemma, pray for us and we will pray for you!