St. Maria Goretti Prayers

Maria Teresa Goretti was born on October 16, 1890 in Corinaldo, Italy. She was baptized in the Church of San Francesco the very next morning. Her parents were Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini humble farmers and servants of God . She was the third of six children. Her siblings names were Teresa, Ersilia, Angelo, Sandrino, and Marinano.

In the year of 1896 the Goretti family had become very poor and had to give up their farm and leave Corinaldo, to the little town of Ferriere Italy. Luigi Goretti just trying to take care of his beloved family found a rigid farm and worked for the farmers there. Three years later Maria’s beloved, loving, and kind father Luigi died from malaria. The family lived on after his death and still worked on the same farm for a while. Maria did most of the housework and watched after Teresa her very young sister, while her mother and other siblings did other vigorous works outside of the house. But a little while after Luigi’s death they decided to move to the “La Cascina Antica” which they shared with Giovanni Serenelii and his son Alessandro. Through the years of living in the La Cascina Antica, Maria was growing more beautiful, faithful, obedient and holy at every moment. But Alessandro was seeing how beautiful she was his evil lust was growing exceedingly.

A few times he threaten her saying that he was going to rape her. And he would kill her if she told anyone. But on July 6th 1902 when Maria was 11 years old she was by herself sewing while her little sister Teresa was taking a nap, suddenly 20 year old Alessandro ran up to little Maria in haste and threatened her with a 11 inch dagger that if she didn’t do what he wanted he would kill her. He was trying to rape her but she would not submit to that evil, she said “No! that is a mortal sin” as he got closer to her with the knife to her throat she warned him that he would go to Hell if he continued in this act. Alessandro became furious and began to abuse her but she fought back with all her strength. Her screams will echo across time “No! It is a sin! God does not want it!” She said she rather die than to sin against God and submit to him and Alessandro became even more furious and started to choke Maria. Because she would not submit he became so frustrated he stabbed her with the dagger fourteen times in the throat, the diaphragm, the lungs, and even the heart. After he did this terrible deed he ran away. The event had woken up little Teresa with tears and shouts. This alerted Giovanni and Maria’s mother to go and check on Teresa, while they were going to get her, they saw little Maria bleeding to death...blood everywhere…they grabbed her as fast as they could and speedily took her to the closest hospital which was in Nettuno. While the doctors were doing surgery on Maria without anesthesia, she woke up and she said that it should stay that way. The head doctor of the hospital said. “Maria think of me in paradise” she gazed upon that loving doctor and said “Well, who knows, which one of us is going there first?” the Doctor said “You Maria”. She said “Then I will gladly think of you”.

…after 20 hours of agony she forgave her soon to be murderer Alessandro and prayed for him…she then finally died while looking at a picture of Mary our Blessed Mother…

After his terrible assault on little Maria, Alessandro was caught and put in prison. Since Alessandro was a minor he was imprisoned not for life but for 30 years. While he was in prison he kept on denying and denying what he had done until one night Maria appeared to him inside of his cold lonely cell, surrounded in lilies; smiled at him and told him that she forgave him. Alessandro’s heart was evaded by forgiveness, mercy, and peace. From the moment on he decided to live his life for God. He later became a lay brother of the Order of Capuchin, and was the monastery gardener.

Forty-Five years after Maria’s death on April 27, 1947 St. Maria Goretti was beatified at Saint Peter’s Basilica. Assunta Maria’s mother was there. Pope Pius XII walked to Assunta put his hand in her hand and told her “Blessed mother, happy mother, mother of a Blessed!” he smiled with tears of joy and walked away. Three years later on June 24th 1950 Also at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome Pope Pius XII pronounced Maria Goretti a Saint and Martyr of the Catholic Church and made her the Patroness of chastity, purity, forgiveness, rape victims, and the modern youth. And made the day of her death July 6th her feast day.

Also her mother and Alessandro her murderer attended her canonization with each other.



Prayer to St. Maria Goretti

Oh Saint Maria Goretti who, strengthened by God's grace, did not hesitate even at the age of twelve to shed your blood and sacrifice life itself to defend your virginal purity, look graciously on the unhappy human race which has strayed far from the path of eternal salvation. Teach us all, and especially youth, with what courage and promptitude we should flee for the love of Jesus anything that could offend Him or stain our souls with sin. Obtain for us from our Lord victory in temptation, comfort in the sorrows of life, and the grace which we earnestly beg of thee (here insert intention), and may we one day enjoy with thee the imperishable glory of Heaven. Amen.
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