St Maria Goretti

Virgin, Martyr (1890 - 1902)
Feast / Memorial Day: July 6
Patronage: Crime victims, teenage girls, modern youth, Children of Mary
Also known as Maria Teresa Goretti

+ HISTORICO-LITURGICAL NOTE:

This young girl was scarcely 12 years old, when she died in defense of her chastity at Nettuno, Italy, on July 6, 1902. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950, and it is the first time in history that the mother of a saint was present at the canonization.

Maria Teresa Goretti was born of a poor family and was uneducated, but she manifested a maternal spirit in caring for her four little brothers and the neighbor's children while the adults were working in the fields. Her father died when she was 10 years old, and one of the men who had worked with her father, Alessandro Serenelli by name, had made several attempts to seduce Maria. Her refusal so angered him that he threatened to kill her, which eventually he did, stabbing her 14 times. Maria died in the hospital at Nettuno after forgiving her assassin. In 1910, during his 8th year in prison, Alexander was converted after a dream in which the young martyr presented him with a bouquet of flowers. He was released from prison in 1928 and after asking pardon of Maria's mother, he received Communion with her at the Christmas Mass. Alexander was also present for the canonization of Maria Goretti in 1950. He spent his last years as a Franciscan tertiary with the Capuchins and died in 1970.