St. Maria Goretti, known as the "St. Agnes of the twentieth century," was born in 1890 in Corinaldo, Italy, as the third of seven children. Her father worked as a farm laborer, and despite not attending school, Maria received a deep education in Christian virtues from her devout mother, Assunta, who taught her catechism from memory. When Maria was 9, the family moved to Nettuno near Rome for work, but her father, Luigi, died the following year. Maria took charge of the household and cared for her younger siblings while her mother worked.
When she was 11, Maria made her long-desired First Communion after attending special spiritual exercises in preparation, leaving a profound impression on her. She had always been a model of obedience, modesty, and purity and had an innate horror of offending Jesus by any sin. She redoubled her efforts to please her Lord and to be helpful to everyone. Going to confession involved a 7-mile walk each way, but Maria counted that as nothing when it came to fulfilling a spiritual obligation.
Tragically, a young farm hand attempted to seduce her three times. When Maria rejected him, he stabbed her multiple times in a fit of rage. She passed away the next day, 6 July 1902, after forgiving her assailant and praying for his conversion, as urged by her Confessor. The attacker, who narrowly avoided being lynched, spent 29 years in prison, where he underwent a profound transformation through a vision of Maria.
In a remarkable moment, both Maria's elderly mother and her assailant attended her canonization on 25 June 1950. The event drew immense crowds during the Holy Year, leading to the unusual decision to hold the ceremony in St. Peter's Square instead of inside the basilica for the first time in history.
St. Maria Goretti, obtain for us the gift of purity and the grace to be firm in obeying the commandments of our Lord.
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Most High Servant,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love (Blessed and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)
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