BROTHER OF A SAINT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3528, 15 July 1920, Page 7

BROTHER OF A SAINT.

A 'Rl<3M.»\RI{.-\Bl,l~} .hEC-()RD. _ .I{UMI'I. Q "'l.‘hi.< is the grL‘:lt'('sL honoLu- that: can lntppen to any I’:nui';y, and I \\'-.ult 5, ml in 1m» to see it. .\'-ow if God! wzxnrs 1119, I (rim die content." t

>7O spolw :1 little lwzluled doctor‘, .86 yems old. unique in the \\‘orl<l as the (mly living l)‘l'()l'll(‘1’ of :1 Salim. His name is .\livlxolo .l’o.~'.~'enti. and he lives in .\n(‘.on:x. bul is now in Rome Wllll a

g1'()11p of twcni‘_\'-odd rchliivos _’c'o‘r on .»\s«:ellsiml I)uy r‘3l:l_\- 13) his brother

1”1':n1(.'(-.<:,tn \\‘:l>‘ P:1n011i-“NI in the ('hul"ch of Sl. ]’ol:er,":uld will Ilence.’rTol‘th he l<m)'l\‘n as St. G:lbl'i(=l of Our Lady of Seven Sm'l'o\\‘s. ‘l‘lagurl_v the old 1111111 {"0111 many :Im!(:dot‘us of his brothvr. “\\'hcn did (‘i:ll‘n'l‘(>]‘.< rc-put:.l(‘iml for .<-.lnctity first begin ‘§ ” “I'nllnodi:lt'ol‘_\* :It.’fol' his uh-11111. A (I0(1.‘r0r uf M0r011\~':1l‘.(%, whm-v he \\':ls first brought: up, foh? mo 1-]lel~e 1111151bo something; oxtr:l(m'lhlax'_\r about (:1),hricl. IJerk':lll.~‘<* Iw.::rTt'o(ls of ;_m:'S011.~: l)1'011g]1f to him not emly f.:~.!iz'miliv.< 10 be curve] but nntmcy. nun] tivgv wuuh-.1 Ijr,‘-t‘ bl'in_Q' 111|0.’11-o')’ 11113655 I’h\__' -x.'(n'c <.mm'incud G:x‘m'icl was -.1 .~'z1'1”n1"." “Did you ever ]_lersona.‘.ly assist in any of his mir:lr>llv,~'? J§)i{l you u\.’or pel'sonall_v, during _ynul' hl'othm".< fi\><3~ time suspect he was -.1, _qailli:‘3"’ ‘Not af first, but when once. ’l.'vis—ifed him, while he \\‘:l.< :1 novicv at

.\lorovzlll-3, I said to myselfi that he

was either :1 saint 01' :1 fool." .Fl'uncosco Possenti, the eleventh child, was born in Assisi in 1838, and \\':ls baptized at the same font as St. Francis. ‘He grew up in Spoleto;..a genel'ous, intelligent boy, but quick to anger and inclined to disobedience. Ho lmgan to feel the call of religion early, but it was not until after the Cwzirh of :1 sister that he was actually «lmwn to it. Then, kneeling one day boi’ol'e the image of the Virgin in Assisi, he heard :1 Voice saying “Francesco, this world is not for you. Your p:‘(2‘i‘ is religion.” Henccforth he onterc-cl the Order of the Passionate Fatliors in .1856, on the (l:l_\' of Our Lmly of s.ol'l'o\\'s_, \vllem.'e he took the name_ Six years» later, while still a novice his fmidest desire ‘ was _<_:l'mitocl and he died of tnbel-cu‘.o--sis. Gabriel as 9. npvice was pious,i }_r(‘m=:'olls. and fond ef poverty. He; turned from the worlul and urgeal liifei i’nl'll9l' to banish no\'e‘.s from the home‘ and avoid theatres. He was :1 mystic, :m:l so pious he never rziised his eyes’ froan the g1'0u11(l. He was hardly dead; when miracles began. He appeared sovm--.11 times to the peasants aha cul'mi hundreds of sick, especially those; afflicted with ruptnie. Lziter hix body was transfc-rrcd to the ton-2: or Isola. where, above his -‘rc-:r:!;-'. -‘WW 'm01':~:- ‘than 100 rupture‘ ":'nwl:l3r~.< left. by the cured in sign of their gratitude. Several times sailors who invoked him in dangei‘ were saved by Gabriel. Some of those who blasi~.hexned were as readily ro\\':lr(lod as the ftiithfnl. His fame filled all Uznlnfrl 921:} .\bmz.z.n, and espertially in the nei;_;'lll»rml'l=fi<‘~«l of Tsolzi it is to-day’ iiziiimrist‘-. Irritation in the throat. stufiiness in the mu! banisched by NAZOL. In- 4 stain ro‘.iei'. Get a Nuzol Inhaler. 2 1