Saint Maria Goretti
Martyr, Virgin
“Saint Agnes of the 20th Century”
(1890 – 1902)

Saint’s Life Story

Her Early Life

Maria was a beautiful and pious farm girl born on October 16, 1890, in Corinaldo, Ancona, Italy. She was the third of seven children born to Luigi and Assunta the third of seven. The next day, Maria was baptized in the Church of San Francesco in Corinaldo. Assunta and Luigi tried to protect their children as best they could in such an poor atmosphere. Assunta later said: “We tried to bring them up in the faith, to be good Christians, teaching them to pray and to see God in his creation.” Every evening Luigi would lead his wife and children in the rosary.

Moved Twice

In 1896, when Maria was six, her father, realizing he could not support his growing family on the barren countryside, took them south, to Colle Gianturco, about fifty miles outside Rome. Luigi believed that in the rich, warm farmlands of the Mediterranean, he would find a more prosperous living and a make a better life for his family.

Then, in 1899, Maria moved with her parents to Le Ferriere, near modern Latina and Nettuno in Lazio, where they lived in a building, “La Cascina Antica.” Here, in order to make ends meet, Maria’s father entered into partnership with a man called Giovanni Serenelli and his son, Alessandro, sharing a house with them.

Her Father Dies

Luigi was a hard worker. But suffering from malaria, typhus, meningitis and pneumonia, he died in 1900, leaving his family penniless. Maria, a child of ten, was an example of piety and virtue from a young age. She prayed the rosary every night in repose for her father’s soul. Maria also cared for her younger siblings and performing household chores — cooking, cleaning, mending, fetching, carrying and caring for the younger children. By doing these tasks, she knew Assunta, her mother, could take her father’s place working in the fields as a farmer. Maria was well known to her neighbors for her cheerful unselfishness and religious disposition.

Attempted Rape and Stabbed

In 1902, as Maria sat on the front step mending a shirt, an 20-year-old neighbor, Alessandro, the son of her father’s partner. While Alessandro had made sexual advances before, Maria rejected him each time in the name of God.

Knowing she would be alone, Alessandro returned to the house and threatened to stab her with an 10-inch awl, a woodworking tool with a blade, if she did not do what he said as he intended to rape her. Alessandro beckoned Maria into a bedroom, but she refused to go. This time, she rejected him again, shouting, “No! It is a sin! God does not want it!” He angrily grabbed her and pulled her in. She struggled and tried to scream, but he choked her. She fought desperately and kept screaming about the sinfulness of Alessandro’s intentions. When Maria cried that she would rather be killed than submit to him, Alessandro stabbed her fourteen times.

Then, Alessandro fled the scene, but not before stabbing Maria a further three times when she tried to reach the door.

Rushed to Hospital

Her baby sister, Teresa, began to cry with all the disturbanc. This noise alerted Assunta, who was working in the fields. Maria was found bleeding profusely. The local doctor could do nothing, so Maria was rushed to hospital in nearby Nettuno. After an unsuccessful surgery, without anesthesia, Maria bore it patiently, to the amazement of the doctors and nurses. They were surprised she was even still alive, with puncture wounds in her throat, heart, diaphragm. But her injuries were beyond the doctors’ help.

Her Death

Before dying, she revealed to her mother, and to the police, for the first time, that Alessandro had tried to rape her twice before. Since he had threatened her with death if she told anyone, she had kept silent. On her deathbed, Maria told the police that it was Alessandro who attacked her and added, “For the love of Jesus, I forgive him, and I want him to be with me in Paradise.” Maria died two days later on July 6, 1902 in Nettuno, Lazio, Italy at the age of 11. She is buried in the crypt of the Basilica of S. Maria delle Grazie e S. Maria Goretti, Nettuno.

Among the crowd of 500,000 people at her canonization on June 24, 1950 was her mother Assunta, along with along with her four remaining siblings. This was the first time a parent of newly canonized Saint witnessed their child’s canonization. Pope Pius XII called Maria “Saint Agnes of the 20th century.” At that time, Saint Maria Goretti was the youngest person ever canonized as a Saint. Saint Francisco Marto and Saint Jacinta Marto (of Fatima) were younger at death (Francisco was 10; Jacinta was 9). However, they were canonized later, in 2017, by Pope Francis.

Alessandro’s Vision and Repentance

Alessandro could have received life in prison, but since he was not yet 21, he was sentenced to 30 years. He was bitter and not sorry for his actions—until one day. It was 11 years into his jail term. When, all of a sudden, Alessandro he had a vision of a garden. There was a young girl playing in it, dressed in white. He realized it was Maria. She brought him lilies, but he didn’t want to take them. Maria urged him to take them, and finally he did. When he took each lily, it transformed into a white flame. Maria repeated her forgiveness for him, and then disappeared.

Alessandro’s life changed that day. He repented, turned back to God, and became a model prisoner. After he finished his jail term, he went to the house of Maria’s mother, and begged her forgiveness. She told him that if Maria had forgiven him, then she had to forgive him too. And so she did. This act of forgiveness and reconciliation between Assunta and Alessandro became a powerful testimony to the transformative power of God’s grace and forgiveness.

Alessandro went on to become a Franciscan lay brother.

Born:                   October 16, 1890, in Corinaldo, Ancona, Italy

Died:                   July 6, 1902 age 11 in Nettuno, Lazio, Italy

Beatified:           April 27, 1947 by Pope Pius XII

Canonized:        June 24, 1950 by Pope Pius XII

Feast Day:         July 6

Patron Saint:    Against Loss of Parents; Against Poverty; Children of Mary; Diocese of Albano, Italy; Girls; Nettuno, Italy; Poor People; Purity; Rape Victims, Young People

Source:

• • St. Maria Goretti: Model of Mercy and Purity – Catholic Fire
  • Jul 6 – St Maria Goretti (1890-1902) Martyr – Catholicireland.net
  • CatholicSaints.Info » Saints of the Day – Maria Goretti by Katherine I Rabenstein
  • Saint Maria Goretti – Saint for a Minute: Saints & Blesseds
  • Maria Goretti – Wikipedia

Prayers

Video Link

Saint of the Week: St. Maria Goretti – YouTube (The True Enlightenment!)