Saint Maria Goretti - The Saint of Purity

Notes

• Maria Goretti was born on October 16, 1890, in Corinaldo, a small town in the province of Ancona, Italy. She was the third of seven children in a farming family that lived in abject poverty. Despite the hardship, the Goretti family was deeply religious, their faith providing solace amid their challenging circumstances. From an early age, Maria was noted for her piety, attending Mass as often as she could and developing a profound love for Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
• n 1899, following the death of Maria's father, the family moved to the province of Lazio, where they shared a house with another family, the Serenellis. Maria, despite being merely nine years old, shouldered great responsibility, caring for her younger siblings and managing the household chores while her mother worked in the fields.
• In 1902, a tragic event changed Maria's life forever. At the age of eleven, Maria was attacked by Alessandro Serenelli, a twenty-year-old who had developed an infatuation for her. When she resisted his advances, he stabbed her multiple times. Even as she lay dying, Maria’s faith remained undiminished. She forgave Alessandro on her deathbed, stating she hoped to see him in Heaven. Her remarkable act of forgiveness has inspired millions worldwide.
• Following this tragic incident, Maria was venerated as a martyr, having died defending her purity and faith. Her body is kept at the Basilica of Santa Maria Goretti in Nettuno, Italy, a site of pilgrimage for many who find strength and inspiration in her story. Maria Goretti was beatified in 1947, and three years later, Pope Pius XII canonized her as a saint on June 24, 1950. She is recognized as one of the youngest canonized saints in the Catholic Church. Maria is often depicted in art as a young peasant girl holding lilies, a symbol of purity and innocence, signifying her commitment to chastity even in the face of death.
• But Maria Goretti’s legacy extends beyond her martyrdom. The crux of her story is her extraordinary act of forgiveness towards Alessandro. In prison, Alessandro reportedly had a vision of Maria giving him lilies that burned immediately in his hands, signifying the forgiveness of his sins. This transformation led Alessandro to repent genuinely, eventually living a life of prayer and penance. Upon his release, he sought forgiveness from Maria’s mother and spent his remaining years as a lay brother in a Capuchin monastery.
• Maria Goretti's canonization in 1950 drew an unprecedented crowd of half a million people, including her mother and Alessandro Serenelli, illustrating the powerful impact of her life and martyrdom. Her story continues to inspire people worldwide, providing a potent testament to the power of forgiveness and the strength of faith. Today, St. Maria Goretti is revered as a patron saint of purity, young women, rape victims, and forgiveness. Every year on July 6, her feast day is celebrated by millions of Catholics around the world, remembering her profound courage, commitment to virtue, and, most importantly, her unwavering capacity for forgiveness.