Gabriel de la Dolorosa (1838–1862)

Biography

Francisco (his name before professing) was extremely careful in dressing in the latest fashion. He was good-looking, cheerful and well-mannered. He really liked to dance and did it very well, which is why he was the favorite of the girls at parties. His friends called him “the one in love.” When he finished high school, he became seriously ill and promised that if he was cured he would become a religious. But as soon as he was cured, he forgot his promise and continued enjoying the world. The same thing happened a second time, and finally, when his favorite sister died of cholera, he decided to keep his promise and enter with the Pasionario Fathers. Although such a sudden change of life was difficult for him, Gabriel perfectly complied with the Community Regulations, which were quite rigorous. His life as a religious was brief, just about six years, because before reaching the priesthood he fell ill with tuberculosis. He suffered this terrible illness with great patience, meditating on the Passion of the Lord, the main devotion of this Community. He also had a fervent devotion to the Mother of God that led Gabriel to very high degrees of sanctity.