Who is Maria Goretti? Saint Maria Goretti was born on October 16, 1890 in Italy. Her family was a poor farm working family, and much of her childhood was of great struggle. At the age of six her, along with her family, were forced to sell their farm and move to work for other farmers to make ends meet. Maria Goretti did not have a traditional school education because they needed all hands to help with the essentials for the family. Around the age of nine, Maria’s father died of Malaria. This put even greater stress on the family. Maria’s mother and older siblings would go out and work in the fields while Maria would stay at the home to do house chores and watch after her younger sister. The house they lived in was shared with another family and in that family there was a young man named Alessandro Serenelli.
 
Maria’s martyrdom
On July 5, 1902, Maria, who was eleven at the time, was on the front steps of the house sewing when Alessandro, who was nineteen, came after her to rape her. He drug Maria into her mothers bedroom and threatened to kill her if she did not comply. Maria, who was devout and faithful to God and His Church, cried out to Alessandro not to do it because it would be a mortal sin and he would go to hell. For several minutes there was fierce fighting and Maria continued saying, “No! It is a sin! God does not want it!” After abusing her, choking her to near death, and seeing she would not submit, Alessandro stabbed Maria fourteen times with a ten-inch dagger. She was stabbed in the throat, heart, lungs and diaphragm. After stabbing her, he quickly ran away. Alessanro later stated he did not complete the assault and Maria died still with her virginity.
 
Maria’s mother and Serenelli’s father rushed her to the hospital, but the injuries were too severe and there was nothing they could do. The following day, nearly twenty hours after being stabbed, she forgave Alessandro and said she wanted to have him in Heaven with her. She died that day while gazing upon a picture of the Blessed Mother, and holding a cross to her chest. She was eleven years old.
 
Alessandro’s Repentance
What happened to Alessandro Serenelli? After Maria’s death, Alessandro was soon arrested. He was sentence to 30 years in prison instead of life because he was still considered a minor. For three years Alessandro was silent and not sorry for what he had done. However, one night in a dream, Maria Goretti came to him and handed him lilies. Upon grabbing them, they burned immediately in his hands. He soon had a complete conversion and sought repentance. Upon his release, Alessandro went straight to Assunta, Maria’s mother, who was still alive to beg for forgiveness. She accepted and forgave him because of Maria’s forgiveness to him on her deathbed. The next day, they attended Mass together and received Holy Communion side by side. Alessandro later in life became a third order Franciscan and passed away in 1970.
 
Canonization of St. Maria Goretti
When was Maria Goretti Canonized? Pope Pius XII allowed for the cause of her canonization to occur because she was credited with forty miracles after her death. She was beatified on April 27, 1947 and was canonized as a saint three years later on June 24, 1950. Pope Pius XII said Maria Goretti was the “Saint Agnes of the 20^th Century.” Maria Goretti’s mother was ther,e along with her remaining children and Alessandro Serenelli. Assunta, Maria’s mother, was one of the first mothers to be present at the Vatican for a child to be canonized. For such a simple and poor farm girl nearly 500,000 people, most of them youth, had come to attend her canonization. Pope Pius XII during his speech spoke to the youth specifically and said, “Young people, pleasure of the eyes of Jesus, are you determined to resist any attack on your chastity with the help of grace of God?” There was a resounding “yes” from the crowd.
 
What is St. Maria Goretti the patron of? St. Maria Goretti’s feast day is celebrated on July 6^th. She is the patron saint of chastity, rape victims, youth, teenage girls, poverty, purity, and forgiveness.

This is a good short film giving an overview of the life of St. Maria Goretti. It may be good to play this before you start the lesson to give a broad overview of her life.