Saint Galla of Rome
Widow and Recluse
Daughter of the patrician Symmachus and a widow after only one year of marriage, Galla refused to remarry to dedicate herself to God. She lived as a recluse near the Vatican, distributing her wealth to the poor and enduring cancer with angelic patience. Before her death around 550, she received a vision of Saint Peter assuring her of her eternal salvation.
Guided reading
6 reading sections
SAINT GALLA OF ROME, WIDOW AND RECLUSE (550).
Origins and renunciation of the world
Daughter of the patrician Symmachus and a widow after only one year of marriage, Galla refused to remarry despite her youth and fortune in order to dedicate herself to God.
Galla Galla Roman matron who became a recluse at the Vatican in the 6th century. , an illustrious Roman matron, was the daughter of the patr Symmaque Prefect of Rome and defender of paganism. ician Symmachus, one of the most famous men of his century and one of the last Romans, who was a victim of the G Théodoric King of the Ostrogoths and ruler of the West during the time of Gelasius. oth Theodoric; she was the sister of Rusticiana, who had marri ed th Boèce Famous Roman philosopher and brother-in-law of Saint Galla. e famous Boethius, another victim of the same tyrant. Raised in the highest piety, she married, according to her father's wishes, a man whose name has remained unknown; but she became a widow within the very year of her marriage. Full of youth, vigor, and beauty, she did not lack suitors for a second marriage: her age, her wealth, and the pressing solicitations all seemed to urge her toward a new marriage. But, closing her eyes to the vain splendor of the world, she renounced it without a moment's hesitation. She preferred the heavenly Spouse to those whom the world offered her, preferring, through the austerities of penance, to prepare her soul for the joys of heaven rather than to risk her salvation in the midst of the satisfactions of a worldly life.
Reclusive life at the Vatican
She established herself in a cell near the tomb of the apostles Peter and Paul at the Vatican, living in poverty and dedicating her wealth to the needy.
Galla abandoned secular attire along with the mourning of her husband; imbued with devotion for the glor ious a Pierre Apostle mentioned for the setting of the procession date. postles Peter and Paul, she had a cell built for herself near their t omb, on Vatican Burial place of Saint Gelasius. the Vatican, and enclosed herself there to live in simplicity of heart, spending her days and part of her nights in prayer. She only interrupted this holy exercise to spread her charity abroad; for her possessions, which were considerable, became the patrimony of the poor. She had reserved for herself holy poverty and a life full of the austerities of penance. She practiced openly, with heroic courage, all the vows that can lead to perfect holiness.
Recognition by the Fathers of the Church
Her piety attracted the admiration of contemporary bishops, notably Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, who addressed an exhortation on widowhood to her from his exile.
The bishops who were the ornament of the Western Church, and the Saints of her century, hastened to pay homage to her piety and fervor. She received with docility the instructions given to her by the Fathers, whom she venerated as her fathers in the faith; she regarded the advice and examples of others as one of the principal means of sanctification provided to her by Providence. We still possess the exhortation on widowhood that the great Saint Fulgentius, Bishop of Ruspe, ad dressed to her saint Fulgence Bishop of Africa who wrote to Galla on widowhood. from the very heart of his exile.
The Trial of Cancer
Galla endures with heroic patience the sufferings of breast cancer, seeing in it a means of spiritual purification.
God, wishing to purify this holy soul more and more, and to raise her to the point of perfection that her manly courage could support, permitted her to be tested by a horrible disease: a cancer came to devour her breast. She suffered the pains of this ulcer with angelic patience and absolute submission to the designs of God. Nothing sanctifies like sufferings accepted at the foot of the cross.
Vision of Saint Peter and passing
Shortly before her death around 550, Saint Peter appeared to her to announce her salvation and the imminent entry into heaven of one of her companions, Benedicta.
Being near her end, one day when she had been greatly tormented by her illness, Galla saw the apo stle Saint P saint Pierre Apostle mentioned for the setting of the procession date. eter appear to her during the night, between the two lamps she kept lit in her room. Instead of troubling her, this vision filled her with a secret joy. She boldly asked the apostle to tell her if her sins were forgiven. "Yes," Saint Peter replied; "come now to God." She asked that a nun named Benedicta, whom she loved very much, might come wit h her. Benoîte Religious woman and companion of Galla, mentioned in the vision. "She will come," the Saint replied, "but not now; her time is still more than thirty days away; you will have such other companion for your passage into eternity." Three days later Galla died, as did the person designated by the apostle, and Benedicta followed them after two months. This was around 550.
Attributes and representations
The saint is traditionally depicted giving alms, wearing a miraculous beard, or receiving an image of the Virgin from the hands of angels.
She is represented: 1° giving alms to the poor; 2° wearing a bushy beard. Saint Gre gory reports t Saint Grégoire Pope and author providing details on the life of Galla. hat the doctors had threatened her with the eruption of a beard if she refused to enter into a second marriage; she took no account of it, and the prognosis was verified; 3° receiving from the hand of angels an image of Mary, as a reward for her widowhood; 4° having a vision in which Saint Peter appears to her and assures her of her salvation.
Chapin: La Vie d'une sainte pour chaque jour de l'année; Père Cahier: Caractéristiques des Saints.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Forced marriage by her father and early widowhood after one year
- Refusal of remarriage despite social and medical pressure
- Retirement to a cell near the tomb of Saint Peter at the Vatican
- Received an exhortation from Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe
- Suffered from breast cancer with patience
- Vision of Saint Peter announcing her death and salvation
Miracles
- Miraculous growth of a beard to preserve her widowhood
- Vision of Saint Peter between two lamps
- Reception of an image of Mary from the hands of angels
Quotes
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Yes; come now to God
Words of Saint Peter during the vision