Father Gabriel is one of the monks at the monastery in South Dakota where Jude grew up. He and the other monks physically, sexually, and emotionally abused Jude, instilling in Jude a sense of internalized shame and worthlessness that he carries with him for the rest of his life. The mistreatment Jude experiences at the monastery causes Jude to lash out and misbehave, and he starts to steal things. When he’s caught stealing Father Gabriel’s silver lighter, Father Gabriel takes Jude to his office, rubs oil on Jude’s hand, and then lights it on fire to punish him. As an adult, Jude recreates this act of punishment, only this time he does it to himself. The novel explicitly notes that Father Gabriel and Brother Peter sexually abuse Jude, though they’re not the only monks to do so.