11 APRIL

Today is the feast day of St. Gemma Galgani and the 100th anniversary of her death. St. Gemma, one of the most popular saints of the first half of the 20th century, was a mystic of some note and suffered a good many trials both spiritual and physical. She seems even to have been possessed at one point. This link is to a website devoted to her with lots of good pictures.

This is also the 395th anniversary of the hanging, drawing, and quartering of Blessed George Gervase, O.S.B. who may be the only beatified pirate in the calendar. O.K., former pirate. But he sailed with Drake, nevertheless. He was also a priest and a Benedictine and it was for his priesthood that Good Queen Bess had him tortured and killed.