Maria Goretti (1890–1902)

Biography

They emigrated to Ferrieri di Conca and worked as settlers, the land was unhealthy and their father died soon. Asunta and her children were left alone, the oldest was only 13 years old and María, the second, was ten years old when this happened. Asunta had to work, leaving the house and her older brothers in charge of it. He always tried to give his children a good education and since they learned to speak he taught them the sign of the Cross and how to say prayers. At the age of eleven, Mary made her first communion and, from then on, made the firm resolution to die rather than commit a sin. When he was just 12 years old, he opposed the dishonest proposals of a young neighbor named Alejandro Serenelli. Blinded by passion, faced with María's resistance, the boy seriously injured her with a knife, giving her 14 wounds in her belly and chest. Mary did not die immediately, she was transferred to the San Juan de Dios hospital where the doctors operated on her without anesthesia because there was none and for two hours the saint endured the suffering offering her pain to God. Mary died the next day, after saying: “Yes, I forgive Alexander for the love of Jesus, and I want him too to go to heaven with me.” Alejandro was sentenced to 30 years in prison, he soon repented and for good behavior he was forgiven 3 years in prison. She was canonized in 1950, with her mother and Alejandro present, who was internally converted, after having served the sentence imposed by civil law. Let us ask “Marietta” to preserve the virtue of holy purity. That we would rather lose any other friendship than lose our friendship with God.