Saint Maria Goretti

Feast day : 06 July

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Maria Goretti, one of the youngest among its glorious martyrs who died whilst defending her chastity. She lived during the period 1890-1902 and died at a young age of twelve years. She was beatified by Pope Pius XII on April 27 1947 and canonized three years later on June 24 1950. During her canonization ceremony, Pope Pius XII asked the large gathering of people, who were mostly young: "Young people, pleasure of the eyes of Jesus, are you determined to resist any attack on your chastity with the help of the grace of God?" A resounding "yes" was the answer. St. Maria Goretti's remains are kept in the crypt of the Basilica of Nostra Signora delle Grazie e Santa Maria Goretti in Nettuno, south of Rome. She is the patron saint of chastity, rape victims, young girls, poverty, purity and forgiveness.

Early life:
Maria Teresa Goretti was born in Corinaldo to Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini in 1890. Her parents were poor farmers and they shared their accommodation with the Serenelli family. Soon her father fell ill and died when she was nine years of age. Maria and her siblings helped their mother in raising the family. Whilst her mother and siblings worked in the fields, she took care of the home and looked after her younger siblings. She was grounded in her faith from an early age and used to pray constantly and taught other children prayers. Alessandro Serenelli was attracted to Maria and often made advances but she resisted them and began to avoid him. This had often angered him as she was not willing to submit to him.

Martyrdom:
On July 5, 1902, Maria was at home taking care of her younger sibling Teresa and doing her household work. Alessandro was threshing beans in the barnyard and waited until she was alone at home. After making sure she was alone at home, he returned back to the house and called Maria to come to him. He intended to rape her and threatened to stab her with an awl if she did not submit to him. He dragged her into the house. All her cries and protests were drowned by the steady hum of the thresher. According to Alessandro, Maria’s words were “No! No! No! What are you doing? Do not touch me! It is a sin-you will go to Hell!” Even at that moment she was fighting not only to protect herself but was also concerned about the fate of Alessandro's soul being condemned to Hell. He choked her and when she still resisted he stabbed her eleven times. When she tried to reach the door, he stopped her by stabbing her three more times before running away. A little while later when her mother came to check on her younger sibling she found Maria on the floor wounded and bleeding. She was taken to the nearest hospital and underwent surgery, but her injuries were beyond repair. She received Viaticum from her priest. He asked her if she forgave Alessandro and Maria said “Yes, I too, for the love of Jesus, forgive him...and I want him to be with me in Paradise...May God forgive him, because I have already forgiven him.” She died soon thereafter. Alessandro was sentenced to thirty years in prison. For several years he did not express any remorse. Then he had a dream in which Maria appeared to him holding white lilies. He wrote a letter to the local Bishop expressing remorse for his crime and about his dream. When Maria’s cause for sainthood was investigated, Alessandro gave evidence admitting his responsibility and explaining how Maria was thinking of his own soul even as he was assaulting her. After his release, he begged pardon from her mother Assunta who eventually forgave him.

Sainthood:
She was beatified on April 27, 1947 by Pope Pius XII and canonised three years later on June 24, 1950. At the canonization ceremony, Pope Pius XII spoke, not as before in Latin, but in Italian. "We order and declare, that the blessed Maria Goretti can be venerated as a Saint and we introduce her into the Canon of Saints". Some 500,000 people, among them a majority of youth, had come from around the world. Pius asked them: "Young people, pleasure of the eyes of Jesus, are you determined to resist any attack on your chastity with the help of the grace of God?" A resounding "yes" was the answer.

Maria's remains are kept in the crypt of the Basilica of Nostra Signora delle Grazie e Santa Maria Goretti in Nettuno, south of Rome. Her feast day is celebrated on July 6. She is the patron saint of chastity, rape victims, young girls, poverty, purity and forgiveness.