Saint Maria Goretti

Saint Maria Goretti was a girl from a poor rural family who was killed at the age of eleven while defending her chastity against an attacker. Before she died, she forgave him for the love of Jesus. The Church honors her as a virgin and martyr and commemorates her on July 6.

She was born on October 16, 1890, in Corinaldo, in the Marche, to Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini, poor farmers of deep faith. When she was still a small child, the family emigrated to the countryside near Rome in search of bread. Three years later the Gorettis settled at Le Ferriere di Conca, in the marshy Agro Pontino not far from Nettuno. There they worked the land together with Giovanni Serenelli and his son Alessandro, with whom they also shared a house. Because of poverty Maria did not go to school.

In 1900 her father died of malaria. From then on Maria helped her mother at home, looked after her younger brothers and sisters, and encouraged her mother, telling her again and again that God would help them. She loved to pray the Rosary. On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi in 1902 she received her First Holy Communion and resolved to keep herself from sin even at the cost of her life.

Alessandro Serenelli had already made advances to her twice. Maria fled from him and reminded him of God, of sin, and of hell, and he threatened to kill her if she told her mother. On July 5, 1902, when everyone was working in the fields and Maria was alone in the house, Alessandro attacked her and tried to rape her. She resisted, crying out that God did not want this and that it was a sin. Then he stabbed her many times with a sharpened iron spike.

Gravely wounded, she was taken to the hospital in Nettuno run by the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God. In the morning, before giving her Holy Communion, the priest asked her whether she forgave her murderer. She answered that for the love of Jesus she forgave him and wanted him to be with her in heaven. She died in the afternoon of July 6, 1902. She was buried in Nettuno, and in 1929 her remains were moved to the town’s shrine of Our Lady of Graces, cared for by the Passionists.

Alessandro Serenelli was sentenced to many years in prison. As John Paul II recalled, thanks to Maria’s forgiveness and intercession he repented of his crime and was converted. After his release he asked Assunta Goretti for forgiveness and received Holy Communion together with her. He lived to see Maria’s canonization and was able to attend it.

Pius XII beatified Maria Goretti on April 27, 1947, and canonized her on June 24, 1950, in Saint Peter’s Square, before immense crowds and in the presence of her mother. On that occasion he called her the little and sweet martyr of purity. On the centenary of her death John Paul II wrote that her faith and her ability to forgive her murderer had placed her among the best-loved saints of the 20th century.