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Maria
was born in Italy in the nineteenth century. She was a beautiful
farm girl whose parents were humble peasants. Her father died
from malaria when she was very young and her mother had to go
to work to support her family. Maria was often left alone on
the farm and on a hot July afternoon in 1902 the twelve year
old girl was sexually assaulted by an eighteen year old farm
hand named Alexander Serenelli. Maria screamed “Death
but not sin” and Alexander proceeded to stab her fourteen
times. Maria was hospitalized and died a day later but not before
forgiving her attacker. Alexander was thrown into jail with
no remorse for his crime. But one night Maria appeared to him
in a dream gathering lillies which she lovingly presented to
him. When he woke up he repented and converted. Released from
prison, nearly thirty years later, Alexander immediately went
to Maria’s mother to beg her forgiveness, which was granted,
and he later testified at Maria’s cause for beatification
in 1947. A quarter of a million people attended her canonization
in 1950, including her killer and her mother. It’s the
only time in the Church’s history that a mother had witnessed
her child become a saint. Maria is also the patron of children,
teenage girls and martyrs; and she's invoked against poverty.
Her feast day is July 6. |
To
order
click on one of
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| St.
Maria Goretti
Patron St. of
Rape Victims |
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