Galla of Rome
Saint Galla | |
---|---|
Died | 550 Roman Catholic Church |
Major shrine | Chiesa di Santa Galla, Rome |
Feast | 6 April |
Galla of Rome was a 6th-century Roman widow known for her generosity. She is considered a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.
Life
Galla was the daughter of
Being wealthy, she decided to retreat to the Vatican Hill, and founded a hospital and a convent near St. Peter's Basilica. Galla is reputed to have once healed a deaf and mute girl, by blessing some water, and giving it to the girl to drink. Galla remained there for the rest of her life, tending to the sick and poor, before dying in 550.
According to tradition, in 524 in the portico of the house of Santa Galla, an icon of the Mother of God appeared in the pantry where the saint kept the food for the poor. An oratory, Santa Maria in Portico, was built on the site to house the icon, which was said to be carried in processions since 590 to avert the plague.[3] The Hospice of St. Galla, an overnight shelter for paupers, was established next door by Pope Celestine III. When the icon was transferred to the newly built Santa Maria in Campitelli, Santa Maria in Portico began to be called Santa Galla Antiqua in honor of its foundress.[4]
Legacy
Galla's biography is in the
The new church dedicated to St. Galla, located in the Ostiense quarter, was consecrated in 1940.
Galla is one of the 140 saints whose images adorn St. Peter's Square's colonnade.[6]
References
- ^ Holweck, Frederick George. A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints, B. Herder Book Company, 1924, p. 412
- ^ a b Mershman, Francis. "St. Galla." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 19 November 2022 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Schofield, Nicholas. "Santa Maria in Campitelli: an old Roman church with strong British connections", Venerable English College, Rome, 26 February 2020
- ^ Abbé Laumonier. The Pilgrim's Guide to Rome, R. & T. Washbourne, 1900, p.93
- ^ Butler, Alban. "St. Galla, Widow", The Lives of the Saints. 1866
- ^ Schofield, Nicholas. "Santa Maria in Campitelli: an old Roman church with strong British connections", Venerable English College, Rome, 26 February 2020
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "St. Galla". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.