St. Maria Goretti

If you are just checking in here at It's just called spicy, I'm posting 40 days of Catholic Saints. As a Catholic, I wanted to do something special this Lenten season (40 days before Easter) and get to know the saints better. You are welcome to read along and get to know about these great Christian role models. 

---

St. Maria Goretti has been one of my favorite saints since I was in college. I went on a trip with some girls my freshman year at FSU to travel to EWTN and a retreat held in Nashville with the Nashville Dominicans, an order of sisters.

Anyways, on the way to this retreat, we stopped at a Catholic book store. I purchased a book about St. Maria Goretti and read the book in one day. I love her because even though she was so young, she still strived to do the right thing always. She had a kind heart.
Her Story: Maria Goretti was an Italian-virgin martyr (died for her faith).
The cool thing is that we know a lot about young Maria Goretti. She was born Corinaldo, Italy to Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini on October 16, 1890. 
The Goretti family moved to Ferriere, Italy in 1899. Her father, Luigi bargained with Signor Serenelli, who had a son named Alessandro. The two families lived together in a building owned by Count Mazzolini (http://www.mariagoretti.org/mariabio.htm). Maria's father died of malaria when she was only six years old. Maria's mother often struggled to feed her six children. 
In 1902, Alessandro Serenelli, who had often harassed Maria, grabbed her from her steps and tried to rape her. Maria is believed to have said, ""No! It is a sin! God does not want it!" Alessandro continued to fight Maria and stabbed her 14 times. She died at the age of eleven.
(I had to include this beautiful part from Wikipedia: The pharmacist of the hospital in which she died said to her, "Maria, think of me in Paradise." She looked at the old man: "Well, who knows, which of us is going to be there first?" "You, Maria," he replied. "Then I will gladly think of you," said Maria. Maria also expressed concern of her mother's welfare ^[9] The following day, twenty hours after the attack, having expressed forgiveness for her murderer and stating that she wanted to have him in Heaven with her, Maria died of her injuries, while looking at a very beautiful picture of the Blessed Mother, and clutching a cross to her chest.)

One of my favorite things about Maria Goretti is the story of repentance of her murderer Alessandro Serenelli. Originally sentenced to life, then re-evaluated since he was a minor, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. After three years of imprisonment, Alessandro met with a bishop and later wrote this bishop a letter. In the letter, he stated that he had dreamed of young Maria Goretti. In his dream, she gave him lillies, which immediately burned in his hands. 
According to http://www.mariagoretti.org/likoudisarticle2.htm: "The dream was so vivid he could not distinguish it from reality. The prison bars and walls fell away and his cell was a sunlit garden blooming with flowers. Towards him came a beautiful girl dressed in pure white. He said to himself: 'How is this? Peasant girls wear darkish clothes.' But he saw it was Maria. She was walking among flowers, smiling, and without the least fear. He wanted to flee from her but could not. Maria picked white lilies and handed them to him saying, 'Alessandro, take them!' He accepted the lilies, one by one, fourteen of them. But a strange thing took place. As he received them from her fingers, the lilies did not remain lilies but changed into so many flaming lights. There was a lily turned to purifying flame for every one of the 14 mortal blows he struck her on the fatal day in Ferriere. Marietta said smilingly, 'Alessandro, as I have promised, your soul shall someday reach me in heaven." 

50 years after her death, Maria Goretti was canonized a saint by Pope Pius XII. Maria's mother and Alessandro attended the ceremony together. Alessandro became a laybrother of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, living in a monastery and working as its receptionist and gardener until death peacefully in 1970 at the age of 89. He spent the last years of his life praying to his protector, St. Maria Goretti.

For more info on St. Maria Goretti: http://www.mariagoretti.org/likoudisarticle2.htm 
Feast Day: October 16
Patron Saint of: Youth, Young women, Purity, and Victims of rape

Official 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.

That's all for today,