Maria Goretti

About Maria Goretti

Saint Maria Goretti (October 16, 1890 – July 6, 1902) is an Italian Roman Catholic virgin saint.

She was born as Maria Teresa Goretti in Corinaldo (Province of Ancona), Italy, in 1890. She was the second child of Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini. By the time she was six, her family had become so poor that they were forced to give up their farm, move, and work for other farmers. Soon, Maria's father became sick. He died when Maria was nine. Her brother, mother and sisters would work in the fields and Maria would cook, sew, and keep house. It was a hard life, but the family was very close. They shared a deep love for God and the faith. She and her family moved to le Ferriere di Conca, near modern Latina, where they lived in a building they shared with another family, the Serenellis.

On July 6, 1902, finding eleven-year old Maria alone sewing when suddenly Alessandro Serenelli attempted to force her to have sex with him. She would not submit, however, protesting that what he wanted to do was a sin and warning Alessandro that he would go to Hell if he raped her. Serenelli at first choked Maria, but when she insisted she would rather die than submit to him, he stabbed her 11 times. The injured but still-living Maria tried to reach the door, so Serenelli stabbed her 3 more times before running away.