St. Maria Goretti
St. Maria was born in Corinaldo, which was in the Ancona Province in Italy, on October 16, 1890. St. Maria was the daughter of a very poor Italian farmer, who had no education and he could not read or write. Her father’s work was moved to Ferrier di Conca, Italy and he moved his whole family their. During that time in Ferrier di Conca, St. Maria’s father died of malaria. Due to the death of her father St. Maria’s family struggled greatly.
Everyday St. Maria’s mother and siblings would work in the field while St. Maria would cook, clean her house and watch her younger sister Teresa. St. Maria was raised in a family that loved Christ a lot, her family was very close to him and prayed a lot. St. Maria was able to make her First Communion before the age of 12.
During July 5, 1902 which was a very hot day, St. Maria was sitting at the top of her steps to her home, mending and fixing a shirt that belonged to either her 18 year old brother or neighbor, it is unknown who it belonged to. At the time St. Maria was almost 12 years old, she was going to turn 12 in October, but St. Maria is said to have been mature. While St. Maria was mending the shirt a cart stopped in front of her house and her neighbor who was an 18 year old boy named Alessandro ran up the stairs and grabbed her and brought her into a bedroom.
When Alessandro brought her into the room, he tried to assault her, she struggled to fight back and she cried for help. St. Maria would warn Alessandro that what he was trying to do was a mortal sin and she warned him that he could go to hell.
However, Alessandro kept trying and St. Maria kept fighting back so that she could maintain her purity, St. Maria screamed, “No, God does not wish it,” she cried out. “It is a sin. You would go to hell for it.” Alessandro began to choke St. Maria when she would say those words and St. Maria said that she would rather want to die instead of be assaulted sexually. After Alessandro had heard that, he grabbed his knife and clutching it firmly in his hand he struck St. Maria eleven times. When St. Maria tried to reach for the door he stabbed her three more times, then fled the scene.
Teresa had woken up due to the sounds, St. Maria made while she was suffering, due to the sounds Teresa began to cry. When St. Maria’s family walked into their house they saw St. Maria laying on the floor bleeding. St. Maria’s family as fast as they could took St. Maria to the closest hospital which was located in Nettuno, Italy. When St. Maria was in the hospital she underwent a very painful surgery without any pain killers.
However, the wounds that St. Maria had were not going to be healed by the surgery. During the surgery a man asked St. Maria “Maria, think of me in Paradise.” Which is truly powerful and shows that people knew how devoted St. Maria was in her beliefs and love for Christ. St. Maria responded to the man with humility saying, “Well, who knows which of us is going to be there first?” The surgeon replied to St. Maria saying “You, Maria.” This statement assured St. Maria that she was in a very critical condition, St. Maria responded to the surgeon and said “Then I will think gladly of you.”
During this difficult time St. Maria did not worry about her well being she worried about other people. St. Maria stated some of the concerns she had for her mother. During the next day which was July 6, 1902, St. Maria forgave Alessandro for what he had done and she said that she wanted to be united with Alessandro in Heaven one day. St. Maria died on that day. When St. Maria died she was looking up at an image of the Virgin Mary and St. Maria was holding a cross against her chest.
Right after St. Maria’s family had found her bleeding on the floor, Alessandro was found and questioned for what had occurred. Alessandro admitted that St. Maria was a virgin and he was unable to assault her sexually which led to him being sentenced to 30 years in prison. Alessandro also admitted to trying to persuade St. Maria to get in bed with him during several occasions and Alessandro mentioned that he tried to rape St. Maria in the past multiple times.
Alessandro was unrepentant for what he had done for quite some time, until he had a dream that he was in a garden. When Alessandro was in that garden, St. Maria approached him and gave him lilies, which burned in his hands immediately. When he woke up from this dream he decided to become a new man and he changed. When Alessandro was released 27 years later he went to visit St. Maria’s mother and asked her for her forgiveness. St. Maria’s mother said to Alessandro “If my daughter can forgive him, who am I to withhold forgiveness?"
On April 27, 1947 St. Maria was beatified by Pope Pius Xll in a ceremony that took place at St. Peter’s Basilica.
A couple of years later on June 24, 1950, St. Maria was declared a saint and Alessandro was present and celebrated her canonization. Alessandro later decided to become a lay brother of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, where he spent the rest of his life in a monastery. Alessandro worked as a receptionist and a gardener until his death.
St. Maria’s body can be found in the crypt of a Basilica that is located in Nettuno, Italy. St. Maria is portrayed with wavy hair and she tends to be dressed in a white dress or farm clothes holding lilies in her hand.
St. Maria is a saint who fought against sexual assault so that she could maintain her virginal purity. St. Maria lived a life so dedicated to Christ that she had the strength she needed to forgive her Alessandro who assaulted her. St. Maria forgave Alessandro and was so concerned for his soul that St. Maria visited him to make sure that he knew she forgave him and to help Alessandro become a new man and live a life devoted to God who is all mercy and love. St. Maria’s feast day is celebrated on July, 6.
Prayer to St. Maria:
St. Maria intercede that we may be able to keep our selves pure so that we may be able to have the strength we need to accomplish God’s will regardless of how much temptations we may encounter. St. Maria help us to have the mercy we need to forgive those who have done wrong to us and help us to guide their souls to Christ so that we may all be united together in Heaven. St. Maria help us to live a life of stronger dedication to Christ so that we may be guided by his light. St. Maria help us to thirst Christ's love and help us to detach ourselves from all of the materialistic things in this world that try to separate us from Christ. St. Maria help every person who has dealt with any abuse to find comfort and protection in Christ so that they may be able to get through any type of depression they may be encountering. St. Maria we pray that you may continue to place your mantle protection over all of the children and people in this world and keep them safe from any threat of abuse or assault.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord and Mary Our Mother in Heaven
Amen
St. Maria pray for us
St. Joseph pray for us
May we continue to strengthen our journey to sainthood and keep others in our prayers.
Works cited:
Information (read from, not taken):
Catholic Online. “St. Maria Goretti.”St. Maria Goretti - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online. Accessed 11 April 2021.
Images:
St. Maria Goretti. April 11, 2021.
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