SAINT OF THE DAY!

padraig · Jul 6, 2026 at 5:12 AM

I think the most touching thing of all is that Alessandro, Maria's killer converted after her death after she appeared to him in a vision in Spain. Alessandro visited Maria's mother and they attended her canonisation together in Rome. Allesandro's cause for Beatification is ongoing in Rome. I read reports of people who had met Allesandro and they were very impressed with him. His downfall was reading pornography which would have been very small beans compared to what we have on the internet now. I hear a huge amount of Catholic men are addicted to it. Even women.

So sad.

I read lately that St Maria Goretti is appearing regularly to Irish mystic Denis O'Leary. So interesting.

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Agnes McAllister · Jul 6, 2026 at 12:59 PM

My mother had an incredible devotion
To St Maria Goretti and she passed away on this day 40 years ago. Incredible Saint!

miker · Jul 6, 2026 at 1:10 PM

Prayslie said: ↑

SAINT OF THE DAY
MONDAY, 6 JULY, 2026

SAINT MARIA GORETTI
VIRGIN AND MARTYR
(16 October 1890 - 6 July 1902)

Born on October 16 1890 in Corinaldo, in the Ancona Province in Italy, her farmworker father moved his family to Ferrier di Conca, near Anzio. When he died of malaria, Maria's mother had to struggle to feed her children.

Maria's mother, brothers, and sisters worked in the fields while she cooked, sewed, kept the house clean, and watched her youngest sister Teresa. Though the family's circumstances were extremely difficult, they were very close and loved God.

On July 5, 1902, Maria was sitting outside the steps of her home sewing Alessandro's shirts while he threshed beans in the barnyard. As she concentrated on her sewing, Alessandro surprised her and grabbed her from her steps. When he tried to rape her, Maria cried that it was a mortal sin and warned he would go to hell.

When Alessandro persisted, she fought him and screamed, "No! It is a sin! God does not want it!" At her words, Alessandro began to choke her and she said she would rather die than submit. Upon hearing her words, Alessandro pulled out a knife and stabbed her eleven times. When she attempted to reach the door, he stabbed her three more times then fled.

Teresa woke to the sounds of her sister's cries and began to cry. Maria's family returned home and found her bleeding on the floor. They quickly took her to the nearest hospital in Nettuno, where she underwent surgery without anesthesia.

Unfortunately, her wounds were beyond the surgeon's ability to help. Halfway through the surgery, the man asked her, "Maria, think of me in Paradise."

As she lay on the table, she looked up at him and said, "Well, who knows which of us is going to be there first?"

She did not realize how terrible her situation was, and the surgeon replied, "You, Maria."

She said, "Then I will think gladly of you." She also mentioned concerns for her mother. The next day, Maria forgave Alessandro and said she wanted to see him in Heaven with her. She died that day while looking upon an image of the Virgin Mary and holding a cross to her chest.

Shortly after Maria's family discovered her, Alessandro was captured and questioned. He admitted Maria was a physical virgin as he was unable to assault her and he was sentenced to thirty years. He also admitted he had attempted to persuade her to accompany him to bed on several occasions in the past and had attempted to rape her before.

Alessandro remained unrepentant for his actions until he had a dream that he was in a garden. Maria was there and gave him lilies, which immediately burned in his hands. When he woke, he was a changed man. He repented his crime and living a reformed life. When he was released 27-years-later, he went directly to Maria's mother and begged her forgiveness, which she gave, saying, "If my daughter can forgive him, who am I to withhold forgiveness?"

Maria Goretti was beatified by Pope Pius XII in a ceremony at Saint Peter's Basilica on April 27, 1947.

Three years later, on June 24, 1950, Maria was declared a saint and Alessandro was present in the St. Peter's crowd to celebrate her canonization. He later became a laybrother of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, where he lived in a monastery and worked as its receptionist and gardener until his death.

Saint Maria is called a martyr because she fought against Alessandro's attempts at sexual sin; however, the most important aspects of her story are how she forgave her attacker - her concern for her enemy extending even beyond death - and the miracle her forgiveness produced in his life.

Saint Maria's body can be found in the crypt of the Basilica of Nostra Signora delle Grazie e Santa Maria Goretti in Nettuno. Though several claim her body is incorrupt, she has been proven to be corrupt. Her body is kept in a statue which lies beneath the altar and has been mistaken to be all of her remains.

Images of Saint Maria often represent her with wavy hair dressed in either white or farm clothes and is often depicted holding lilies.

PATRON: Against impoverishment; against poverty; children; children of Mary; girls; loss of parents; martyrs; rape victims; young people in general.

PRAYER: O God, author if innocence and lover of chastity, who bestowed the grace of martyrdom on your handmaid, the Virgin Saint Maria Goretti, in her youth, grant, we pray, through her intercession, that, as you gave her a crown for her steadfastness, so we, too, may be firm in obeying your commandments. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Her relic is in altar at our little parish. She has always been a saint to inspire me...more so since my accident in helping with grace needed to continue forgiving young lady who hit us while drunk driving. I pray she finds peace and the love of Jesus Christ for her

Dave Fagan · Jul 6, 2026 at 3:07 PM

From Sr. Julia Mary Darrenkamp FSP:

"Happy feast day to one of my earliest Saint-friends! Sitting in the pew on July 4th at St. Thomas More Cathedral, I looked to my left and there she was. Such a lovely statue of St. Maria Goretti. I read her story when I was 13…just a year older than she was when she was martyred. It impressed my fervent Protestant heart to know there were heroes my own age. She, along with Bernadette, were my first introduction to Saints in the Catholic Church. I guess you could say they were my “sponsors.”

That was many years ago. But true friends STAY friends, and I have her picture and relic next to my bed. Hoping she and Bernadette will sponsor me all the way to the pearly gates!"

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Agnes McAllister · Jul 6, 2026 at 5:55 PM

Dave Fagan said: ↑

From Sr. Julia Mary Darrenkamp FSP:

"Happy feast day to one of my earliest Saint-friends! Sitting in the pew on July 4th at St. Thomas More Cathedral, I looked to my left and there she was. Such a lovely statue of St. Maria Goretti. I read her story when I was 13…just a year older than she was when she was martyred. It impressed my fervent Protestant heart to know there were heroes my own age. She, along with Bernadette, were my first introduction to Saints in the Catholic Church. I guess you could say they were my “sponsors.”

That was many years ago. But true friends STAY friends, and I have her picture and relic next to my bed. Hoping she and Bernadette will sponsor me all the way to the pearly gates!"

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Beautiful

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SAINT OF THE DAY!

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