The Canonization of this fine young man must have come from more than this story of driving off some brigands. We’re told he was of frail constitution and yet somehow demonstrated enough strength to render this mob subdued.
These renditions leave many to wonder at the validity of the process. Where are and What are the required miracles, certainly not the above.We should all aspire to holiness, Sainthood is for extraordinary acts of greatness benefitting mankind. (Opinion)
Tom, 2 minutes of Google research would have led you to a source explaining all the details of the young man’s life. And no he was not canonized for driving off brigands. It’s a story that people like to tell, along with the fact that he was a good dancer and popular with the ladies, because it humanizes the saint who otherwise just seems like some perfect phony plaster statue locked away in a monastery.
Here is a book on him, miracles discussed starting on page 252:
If you don’t wish to read a whole book, here is Wikipedia on him, also discussing the miracles and other holy aspects of his life:
Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows - Wikipedia
He was canonized because he spent his adult life seeking perfection in his vocation. He tried really hard to be perfect. He was so well known for sanctity in his region that even though right after his death the order had to abandon the monastery where they (and he) had been living, along with abandoning his grave there, he was remembered for decades, and the townspeople didn’t want them to take the body away when they finally got around to starting canonization proceedings 30 years later.
He was a friend of the mystic saint and victim soul St. Gemma Galgani who is associated with the Passionists (though she was not able to formally join) and he is considered a forerunner of the “Little Way” of St. Therese as he was canonized in 1920, several years before she was.
I hope that clears up any misconceptions you have about his life or the propriety of his canonization. I would suggest that perhaps in the future you might at least check Wikipedia before making negative comments about a great saint or casting aspersions on his canonization process.
I was pleased to visit a local church named for him on his saints’ day and hear about how perfect he was in the homily…unfortunately because I was not sure of the location of the church, I did not allow enough travel time, and arrived at the Mass late, and walked into the Mass just as the priest was listing all of St. Gabriel’s virtues in his homily and saying, “And he was never late!”
