Who Was Saint Maria Goretti?
Saint Maria Goretti is one of the youngest saints ever canonised by the Catholic Church. Born amidst poverty and faith, her short life was marked by a spiritual heroism that defies human logic. She died at only 11 years old while resisting a rape attempt, forgiving her attacker before she died. She is the patron saint of youth, victims of sexual assault, and those striving to live in purity.
The feast day of Saint Maria Goretti in the Church is celebrated on 6 July, the date of her death – the day she gave her life out of fidelity to purity and forgave her attacker.
This date appears in the Liturgical Calendar of the Catholic Church, and her memory is classified as an optional memorial (meaning it may be celebrated particularly in devotional Masses, without universal liturgical obligation, except in communities that have her as their patroness).
Birth and Childhood
Maria Teresa Goretti was born on 16 October 1890 in Corinaldo, a rural village in the province of Ancona, in the Marche region of Italy. She was the third of seven children of Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini, poor but deeply religious peasants.
When Maria was about six years old, the family moved to Le Ferriere di Conca, a marshy area south of Rome, in search of better living conditions. There, the Goretti family shared a house with the Serenelli family, among whom was Alessandro Serenelli, who would later become Maria’s murderer.
In 1900, Luigi died of malaria, leaving Assunta alone with the children. At barely ten years old, Maria took on much of the household work and cared for her younger siblings while her mother worked in the fields.
A Pure Heart and a Heroic Death
From an early age, Maria showed a deep love for Jesus and the Virgin Mary. She could neither read nor write but recited her prayers devoutly and longed for her First Communion, which she received with great joy shortly before her death.
On 5 July 1902, Alessandro attempted to rape her. Maria resisted firmly, telling him:
“No! It is a sin! God does not want it!”
“You will go to hell!”
“I would rather die than sin!”
Enraged, Alessandro stabbed her 14 times. Maria was taken to the hospital in Nettuno and, after nearly 20 hours of agony, died the following day, on 6 July 1902.
Before she died, she forgave her attacker with an astonishing declaration:
“Yes, I forgive him… for the love of Jesus… and I want him to be with me in Paradise.”
Conversion of the Murderer and the Path to Redemption
Alessandro Serenelli was sentenced to 30 years in prison. At first, he showed no remorse. But six years later, Maria appeared to him in a dream, handing him 14 white lilies – a symbol of purity and the number of stab wounds.
Following this vision, Alessandro underwent a profound conversion, began to behave humbly in prison, and wrote a letter asking forgiveness from Assunta, Maria’s mother, who replied:
“If Maria forgave him, who am I not to do the same?”
Alessandro spent his final years as a gardener in a Capuchin monastery, living in prayer and penance until his death in 1970, at the age of 88.
Canonisation: Heaven Rejoices
Maria Goretti was beatified on 27 April 1947 and canonised on 24 June 1950 by Pope Pius XII, in front of more than 250,000 people gathered in St Peter’s Square – one of the largest crowds ever assembled for a canonisation.
It was the first time a mother – Assunta – attended the canonisation of her own daughter.
On that occasion, the Pope declared:
“A martyr not of the faith, but of chastity; a martyr of Christian purity.”
Miracles Attributed to the Intercession of Saint Maria Goretti
Various miracles were recognised before and after her canonisation. Among the best known:
- Healing of a young Italian woman who had been blind from birth, after praying with faith before the image of Maria Goretti.
- Healing of advanced tuberculosis in a man who invoked the saint shortly after her beatification.
- Unexplained protection of young victims of abuse who, even without knowing her story, reported dreaming of her and feeling peace.
Testimony of Her Family
Assunta Goretti, her mother, lived to the age of 85. She became a symbol of strength and faith, bearing witness about her daughter on many occasions and was received by several popes.
Maria’s siblings led simple lives, and some emigrated to Latin America. They always remembered their sister as a “living angel” in the home.
After his conversion, Alessandro began writing letters encouraging young people not to let themselves be corrupted by lust, saying:
“Pornography destroys the soul. I was a victim of it.”
The Legacy
Saint Maria Goretti remains an example of:
- Moral courage in the face of violence
- Purity as a Christian ideal
- Radical and sincere forgiveness
- Hope in the conversion of sinners
Her memory is celebrated on 6 July, and her relics rest in the Sanctuary of Nettuno, in Italy, a place of many pilgrimages.
Bibliographical Sources
WEIGEL, George. Witness to Hope: The Biography of John Paul II. HarperCollins, 1999.
MARTIN, Ann. Saint Maria Goretti: In Garments All Red. TAN Books, 2002.
VATICAN.VA – Canonisation documents and speeches of Pope Pius XII
Sanctuary of Saint Maria Goretti – Nettuno, Italy: https://www.santuarionettuno.it
Catholic Encyclopedia – Saint Maria Goretti: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/
ZENIT.org – Interviews with family members and testimonies after canonisation
GORETTI, Alessandro. Memorie di un Pentito (unpublished, cited in Italian Capuchin sources)
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