Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr

Maria Goretti was born in 1890 in Corinaldo, Italy, to a poor farming family. After her father died of malaria, the family struggled as sharecroppers near Nettuno, south of Rome. On July 5, 1902, at the age of eleven, Maria was attacked by Alessandro Serenelli and died the next day from her wounds.

Before her death, Maria forgave Alessandro, who later experienced conversion in prison. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950 before a vast crowd that included her mother and, eventually, her repentant attacker. Her story must be told with care: it is not a romanticized story of violence, but a witness to the dignity of the vulnerable, the horror of sin, the power of forgiveness, and the Church’s call to protect children and the innocent.

Prayer: Saint Maria Goretti, pray for the protection of the innocent and help us choose mercy without abandoning justice. Amen.