St. Maria Goretti

Originally published in the bulletin of St. Vincent Ferrer Church, Delray Beach, FL on July 3, 2023

Young people today often feel pressure from society, from movies, even from their peers, to live a life of less than modest behavior. One saint we can turn to when we look for help against temptation is St. Maria Goretti, who was not even twelve years old when she died.

Maria was born on October 16, 1890 in the Italian town of Corinaldo, which is about 50 miles north of Assisi. Her family were farmers. She was just nine years old when her father died. After his death, her family had to share a house with another family, the Serenellis.

Maria’s mother and siblings worked in the fields, while Maria took care of the household duties. The twenty-year old son of the Serenelli family, Allesandro, often made sexual advances to her. Maria always refused, saying it was a sin and not in accordance with God’s will. One afternoon, when Maria was eleven years old, Alessandro Serenelli again made sexual advances to her. Maria again refused to submit, which angered Alessandro. He choked her; but she still would not submit. She fought against him, declaring she would rather die than submit to him. He then stabbed her 14 times. She desperately tried to reach the door, to get away from him, but he intercepted her, stabbing her three more times.

When her family found her bleeding, she was taken to the nearest hospital, where she was hurried into surgery without the benefit of anesthesia, but she was injured beyond help.

Within twenty-four hours of Allesandro’s last attack, Maria died, having voiced her forgiveness of him. Allesandro was subsequently arrested, convicted, and jailed. He did repent during his imprisonment. After serving 27 years, he was released from prison, and visited Maria’s mother, whom he begged for forgiveness, which she granted. Allesandro later became a Capuchin lay brother.

Maria was beatified on April 27, 1947. In attendance at the ceremony were both her mother, Assunta, and Pope Pius XII, who greeted Assunta, saying “Blessed mother, happy mother, mother of a Blessed.” Three years later, on June 24, 1950, Pius XII canonized Maria as a saint. Assunta was again present at the ceremony, along with her four remaining sons and daughters. Alessandro was also present.

Young people today often feel pressure from society, from movies, even from their peers, to live a life of less than modest behavior. One saint we can turn to when we look for help against temptation is St. Maria Goretti, who was not even twelve years old when she died.

The picture above is by Saint Maria Goretti (2022) by Virginia S. Benedicte, Public Domain Catholic Painting.