VENERABLE GALILEO NICOLINI, C.P.
PASSIONIST STUDENT

“Nothing is small that has reference to God. This defect in itself is a little defect but it offends the Infinite God. Therefore it is big. This act of virtue is in itself small, but it honours the Infinite God; therefore it is great.”

So wrote a young Passionist student, Galileo Nicolini, who at an early age learned the value of small things done for God. A contemporary of Saint Therese of Lisieux, he never knew of her or read about her “little way”, yet his life is an example of one who followed that way and who knew the value of even the small things done for God.

Galileo Nicolini was born at Capranica, a small town near Rome on 17th June 1882. Following the custom of the time he was baptised four days later. He was confirmed at the age of six.

His father owned a construction company and was hard working and hard headed. Galileo inherted his father’s spirit of determination and in time used it on his walk to holiness.

Galileo’s cousin, Amabile, encourged him in the faith and counselled him to keep a small book of spiritual sayings, which he did. This first book developed into a collection, as he continued the practice for the rest of his short life. Far from being merely a book of sayings, though, these “spiritual diaries” became guidebooks to help Galileo on his path to sanctity.

A diligent and precocious student, Galileo did well in school. He began school at the age of three, and by the age of seven could read and write so well that he handled his father’s business correspondence. In short, Galileo was what today we might term a “bookworm”. His mother testified that he was “crazy for study” and when she looked for him during the day he was most often in some secluded nook with his favourite books.

Galileo had religious teachers until the age of seven. Then he was required to attend a public school in order to take the entrance exam for high school. Although the friars taught all the subjects required by the civil authorities, the anti-clerical government did not recognise their schools.

Because he was so far advanced in his studies, and because of his religious convictions, once some schoolmates began to harass him. They gave him nicknames: “big eyes”, “dude”, and “proud”. They followed him with catcalls, threw stones at him and chalked offensive remarks on the town walls. At first, the eight year old bore these trials with great patience and silence. Eventually, however, his anger got the better of him, and one day, much to their surprise, his classmates discovered he was every bit as good with his fists as with his Rosary and books. After this, they ceased to bother him.

Eventually, his peers grew to like him very much. Galileo became an ardent apostle among the other students, as well as a lively participant in their games.

Once, a rather pompous businessman was a dinner guest at the Nicolini home. He made the remark that the friars taught nothing but nonsense at their inferior school. Nine year old Galileo immediately piped up: “Is that right, sir? You have to prove that one to me. I’ve been at that school for some years now and I have yet to hear anything you describe. Would you be so kind as to make a list of these for me?” Having had his bluff called, the anti clerical man tried to bully and berate religion in general. Galileo refuted each statement to the satisfaction and even approval of some other anti clericals who were present. Later that evening the boy confided to his mother, “When that man was going against the Church today, I felt like a lion and could have torn him apart!”

Galileo burned with the desire to make his First Communion. he pestered the parish priest for all the information possible on the Blessed Sacrament, and made a special study of the young saints Stanislaus and Aloysius at the time of their First Communion. Then he went to the Passionists at St. Angelo’s Monastey at Vetralla (Italy)  for a ten day retreat. Here, at last, at the age of twelve Galileo was allowed to received the Eucharist for the first time on 26th August 1894. For Galileo, this was more than just First Communion, it was a turning point in his life.

Back home, Galileo told his confessor that he felt that Christ was calling him to be a Passionist. Father Callistus, who had prepared him for his First Communion, was impressed with the child’s unusual piety and asked him: “Tell me Galileo, did Jesus say nothing in your heart?” Although he told Father that indeed he had received a communication, at first he only told him he would discuss it later. A few days later he confessed: “Jesus in my First Communion with him made me see that I should become a Passionist … I feel that he wants great things from me.”

Earlier Galileo had expressed a desire to become a missionary, but from the time of his Communion, he felt the very clear call to the Passionist life. His family testified that he became very fervent, attending daily Mass and study of the practice of prayer. He presented himself personally to the Passionist Retreat of Saint Angelo and requested admission.

On learning that he was only twelve years old, the Passionist superior felt that he was too young to enter the community and refused to even consider it. His parents too flatly refused to think of allowing him to do so. His father, in particular, was against the idea. Because of his precocious intelligence, Galileo had become a valued worker in his father’s business even at this early age, and his father was loathe to lose him. In addition, he was the oldest and favourite son. A Passionist friend pointed out the austerity of the Passionist life and advised him to wait. A wealthy uncle attempted to bribe him to forget the idea. Galileo merely answered, “This is my resolve and no one will move me from it.”

Galileo’s determination never faltered. Week after week he rode his donkey to the Passionists to beg admittance. Week after week, the answer was “no”.

About this time Galileo’s favourite cousin Amabile died of tuberculosis. Before her death, Galileo helped care for the invalid. One of the Passionists suggested that Galileo make a novena, asking the aid of Our Lady of Pompei and of Amabile. At the end of the novena, his parents gave in and consented to his strong desire, and the Passionists allowed him to enroll in their high school seminary in Rocca di Papa. His father not only consented, but came to the monastery with him to make the final arrangements himself.

Galileo loved the minor seminary where he cheerfully grew in holiness under the strict regime. He got along well with his companions and joined a confraternity dedicated to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. He kept a calendar with Our Lady’s feasts marked with reminders for special devotions for their celebration. On it he wrote, “No grace comes from God which does not pass through the hands of Our Lady. If, therefore, I wish to obtain all the graces necessary for preservance to the end in the way I have chosen, I must have a tender and filial devotion to the Mother of God”. Because of his excellent progress, Galileo was given a special dispensation and allowed to enter the novitiate at Lucca in 1896 at the age of fourteen. After the customary spiritual exercises, he was invested with the black habit of the Passionists and received his religious name: Gabriel of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

Galileo continued writing in his spiritual notebooks. In addition to his examination of his progress and his notes on the lives of the saints, his insight into the love of the Sacred Heart is outstanding for a fourteen year old. His notes on the Passion and the Blessed Sacrament as they relate to the Sacred Heart of Jesus seem to indicate that he received extraordinary graces.

Much of the advice Galileo wrote in his notebook for himself is helpful to anyone wanting to draw closer to God. For example, he wrote: “In prayer, be quiet, tranquil, with the knowledge of your own nothingness … Do not be disturbed if the Lord does not show his face … Use this opportunity to remain humble. Seek the cause; if it comes from yourself, remove it; if it is a trial from God, humbly bow your head …”

After a few months in the Passionist Novitiate, Galileo realised that he had tuberculosis. He knew the symptoms from having nursed his cousin; he knew also that the disease was fatal. He said nothing for fear of being sent home. After a year of silent suffering, he had a severe hemorrhage and finally told his superiors. Instead of sending him home, they transferred him to Monte Argentario, hoping that a change of air would help him.

Galileo arrived at the mountain monastery at the beginning of May 1897, and was immediately put to bed. One of the Passionists wrote to the shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, asking Bartolo Longo and his orphans to pray for Galileo’s recover. At the end of the letter, Galileo wrote a note to the Virgin: “Dear Mama, I am very sick. No one but you can cure me. Restore me to health it is be for the glory of God and the good of my soul.”

About a week before his death, his mother came to visit. The monks were cloistered with papal enclosure, so she could not enter the Monastery. After a hurried consultation with the superior, the novice master found the solution: the invalid’s cot was taken outside the cloister so they could talk. How her heart must have ached to see her helpless son whose emaciated hands lay on the coverlet. His cheeks were flushed with fever and his large eyes were unnaturally bright. As she embraced him, he smiled to reassure her. After an all too brief visit, as she bent to kiss him goodbye, she asked her son if he was happy in such a strict order. He replied, “I have never regretted a minute of it!” When she pointed out that he was dying young, he replied, “But, Mama, if God wants to take me home now I am perfectly content. I am only sorry I couldn’t have lived long enough to attain the perfection I intended as a good Passionist.”

On his sick bed, Galileo prayed constantly. Since lengthy concentration is fatguing to the sick, he occupied his time with vocal prayer. He kept a number of chaplets by his bed and prayed them one after the other; first the Rosary,  then the Chaplet of the Seven Dolours, then the Five Wounds beads, and then others.

He remained cheerful and his spiritual director wrote: “What I admired most in him was his remarkable patience. Never a complaint; never the slightest token of displeasure with the will of God … In moments of his greatest agony I heard him repeat, “Lord, increase my sufferings but increase also thy grace.”  His one worry was that he was a burden to the community, and as he thanked his infirmarians for their help, he also begged their pardon for causing them any inconvenience.

At last, he was told that he was in imminent danger and asked if he would receive extreme unction. Galileo received the sacrament of the sick fervently, then smiled and murmured, “Oh my Father, how beautiful to die like this.”  On the morning of 13th May, he asked the infirmarian to light all the candles around the image of Our Lady of Pompeii and to call the religious to gather around him. When the other Passionists arrived, Galileo sat up in bed and repeated the Ave Maria several times. Then pointing toward the picture of our Lady, he suddently exclaimed, “The saints!” and he motioned for the brethren to make way. He sat up as if to greet visitors, then all trace of pain disappeared from his face and his colour returned to normal as he sank back upon his pillow with his eyes closed.

As was the custom, the body was placed in a coffin and prepared for burial. The following morning, after Mass for the repose of his soul, the coffin was carried by the religious in procession to the neighbouring town of Porto San Stefano for burial. In some way, the news had spread that a saint had died in the monastery, and outside the town a large number of people met the funeral cortege. They insisted on seeing the “little saint” so the casket was opened in the roadway. Another crowd gathered in the parish church and the casket had to be opened again. The people pressed around, touching the body with their Rosaries. Some began to snip away pieces of his Passionist habit and strands of hair. At last, to satisfy the devotion of the people, a large piece of his habit was cut off and cut into small pieces and distributed among those present.

At the cemetery, people kept thronging. So the body was left exposed for two days with candles kept burning around it and fresh flowers heaped on it in profusion. Finally, on the third day, the burial was completed. Galileo’s earthly remains rested in the cemetery of Porto San Stefano for two years.

Devotion to the saintly young Passionist began to spread throughout the world, and demands for a beatification process to be opened at last caused the Passionists to call for a canonical recognition of the relics. At the exhumation, the body was found to be exactly as it was when it had been buried two years previously without the slightest indication of decomposition. After the customary examination, his body was placed in a new coffin, sealed with ecclesiastical approval and reburied. In 1921, the relics were transferred to a new cemetery on the mountain near the monastery, and they were transferred again in 1925 to the monastery church. Today, the relics of this young Passionist are venerated at the Passionist Monastery of the Presentation on Monte Argentario, Italy.

The decree confirming Galileo’s heroic virtue was promulgated in 1981.