The canonization of Saint Maria Goretti (1890-1902), which drew an immense crowd of 250,000 attendees, stands as a testament to the profound influence of her poignant life story that touched millions across the globe.
Maria was the daughter of a financially-strained Italian tenant farmer. Despite never having the chance to attend school or learn to read or write, her spiritual depth was remarkable. By the time she partook in her First Communion, she was comparatively older and less academically advanced than her peers, yet her commitment to her faith remained unwavering.
One sweltering afternoon in July, an event unfolded that would seal Maria’s fate and set the stage for her future sainthood. The barely twelve-year-old Maria, physically mature for her age, was repairing a shirt atop the stairs of her family home. Suddenly, a cart pulled up, and Alessandro, an 18-year-old neighbor, charged up the stairs, assaulting Maria and dragging her into a nearby bedroom. Throughout the traumatic ordeal, Maria vehemently resisted and called for divine intervention, warning Alessandro of the mortal sin he was about to commit.
After the violent confrontation, Maria was transported to a hospital where she spent her final hours. Even amidst her personal suffering, her empathetic and compassionate nature shone through. She expressed concerns for her mother’s comfort, offered forgiveness to her attacker (whom she had feared yet never spoken out against to avoid burdening his family), and enthusiastically embraced her last Holy Communion. Roughly 24 hours post the traumatic incident, Maria succumbed to her injuries.
Alessandro, Maria’s assailant, was condemned to a 30-year prison sentence. For a considerable period, he remained defiant and moody, showing no remorse for his actions. However, one night, a transformative dream featuring Maria offering him flowers initiated a profound shift in his disposition. Upon release from prison after serving 27 years, a reformed Alessandro sought Maria’s mother to plead for her forgiveness, marking the beginning of his penitence journey.
Maria’s martyrdom inspired devotion and reverence, prompting reports of miracles associated with her. In less than fifty years after her demise, she was canonized. Notably, her mother, then aged 82, along with two of Maria’s sisters and a brother, graced the beatification ceremony in 1947, standing alongside Pope Pius XII on the balcony of St. Peter’s. Three years later, at her canonization, an emotional 66-year-old Alessandro Serenelli was spotted amidst the crowd of a quarter-million, shedding tears of joy and redemption.
Photo credit: Zvonimir Atletic / Shutterstock.com
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