Eufemia Gemma Giannini

After the death of Gemma Galgani, Eufemia felt called to continue the spiritual mission of her friend. Despite her father's initial reluctance, she entered the recently founded monastery of the Passionist nuns of Lucca on November 21, 1905. Forced to leave temporarily under paternal pressure, she returned permanently on January 8, 1906. On March 25, 1906, she began her novitiate under the direction of Father Germano Ruoppolo, a Passionist, and took the religious name Maria Gemma Maddalena di Gesù (Mary Gemma Magdalene of Jesus). She pronounced her vows on April 11, 1907, the anniversary of Saint Gemma's death. Recognized for her spiritual maturity, she was appointed vice-mistress of novices, catechism mistress, and archivist in November 1908. From 1919 to 1923, she was sent to the monastery of Itri to replace the ailing superior. In August 1922, she provided her precious testimony during the beatification process of Gemma Galgani in Gaeta. However, her fragile health was severely tested by frequent illnesses, forcing her to leave the enclosure temporarily several times for treatment. On November 16, 1938, she left the Passionist monastery permanently with the desire to found a new work. On April 17, 1939, she rented a small apartment in the former Villa Guerra in Camigliano (municipality of Capannori), the birthplace of Saint Gemma Galgani. On May 4, 1939, with the arrival of a first companion, Dorotea Prelovsek (who had also had to leave the Passionist monastery for health reasons), the Missionary Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Gemma Galgani (Sorelle di Santa Gemma) was officially born. In June of the same year, Elisa Piazzi joined them. The sisters initially dedicated themselves to prayer, welcoming rural children, catechesis, and teaching the meditation of the Passion of Jesus. On October 2, 1939, the community moved to an apartment in the Casa Lazzareschi, adjacent to Saint Gemma's birthplace. In May 1940, Mother Gemma attended the canonization of Gemma Galgani in Rome. Received in an audience by Pope Pius XII, she presented him with a watch that had belonged to the saint and explained her foundation project to him. The institute developed rapidly. In 1948, the sisters settled in the diocese of Milan, where Cardinal Ildefonso Schuster recognized the work as a "Pia Associazione" in 1951. On October 26, 1964, Bishop Pietro Zuccarino of Bobbio established the institute as a congregation of diocesan right. Affiliated with the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ in 1973, it received definitive pontifical approval on August 15, 1982, under the pontificate of John Paul II.

From 1960, the life of Mother Gemma Giannini was marked by a progressive paralysis that immobilized her for many long years, making her a living image of the crucified Christ. She endured this painful trial with heroic patience and a deep spiritual union with the Passion. She passed away suddenly on August 26, 1971, in Camigliano (Capannori), in the birthplace of Saint Gemma Galgani, where she had retired. In 1990, Msgr. Giuliano Agresti, Archbishop of Lucca, opened the diocesan informative process on her reputation for holiness. This process was solemnly closed on September 27, 1992, by Msgr. Bruno Tommasi. The legal validity of the diocesan process was recognized by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints by a decree on October 1, 1993 (or November 26, 1993, according to other documents), and the Positio was published in September 1994. On October 20, 2006, the theological consultants issued a favorable opinion, followed on December 18, 2007, by the unanimous vote of the cardinals and bishops of the Congregation.

On March 15, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Gemma Giannini, thereby conferring upon her the title of Venerable. The cause is currently awaiting the recognition of a miracle attributed to her intercession to pave the way for her beatification.

The spirituality of the Venerable Mother Gemma Giannini is intimately linked to that of Saint Gemma Galgani and the Passionist charism. It is centered on the contemplation of Jesus crucified and the love of the Eucharist, lived not in strict monastic enclosure, but in an active and charitable apostolate. Today, the Sisters of Saint Gemma Galgani (M.S.G.) perpetuate her legacy throughout the world. They dedicate themselves to the care and preservation of historical sites linked to Saint Gemma Galgani (the Casa Giannini in Lucca and the birthplace in Camigliano), to socio-educational works, notably the welcoming of young women in difficulty, single mothers, orphans, and the elderly, as well as to missionary apostolate. In addition to Italy, the congregation is active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (since 1966), in Ivory Coast (since 1999), and in Bulgaria.