Today is the Feast of St. Maria Goretti, who died defending her virginity and also in the attempt to prevent her killer from committing a terrible sin.
The story of her appearance to him, Alessandro Serenelli, in prison, and his subsequent conversion and life of holiness is the very stuff of Christian hope.
I am so disappointed when I hear Catholics, in particular, dismiss a person who has had a real conversion because in his “past life” he was a sinner. Isn’t that what we pray for? The conversion of sinners? Aren’t their lives to be celebrated rather than reviled? In a way, the abuse of a truly converted soul because of past sins is a rejection on the Holy Spirit, a rejection of Christ’s saving Sacrifice, a rejection of the Father’s bountiful love.
We are not Protestants who think that our sins remain, merely covered over or by some bookkeeping ignored. When we confess our sins and amend our lives those sins are gone, removed forever through the washing of the Blood of the Lamb. Though our sins be as red as scarlet, they are cleansed as white as snow. Though we have their memory, though we will always feel a need to do penance, those sins will not be held against us in our judgment. And there is no sin so great that the infinite power and love of God cannot remove from our souls, provided we ask.
GO TO CONFESSION!
Maria, 11 years old, before she died, forgave her 20 year old killer who, when he couldn’t rape her, stabbed her 14 times with a thick chisel-like awl. She later appeared to him and gave him 14 lilies. He became a model prisoner and earned early release, at which time he sought out Maria’s mother, who forgave him and took him to herself as if he were her own son.
Alessandro Serenelli became a paragon of devotion and there is even talk of his cause.
His conversion involved abundant forgiveness from those whom he wrong. It required intercession in heaven to obtain graces.
This is one reason why I regularly pray “pro inimicis… for enemies”, those who have recently done me terrible harm. I believe they could be great paragons to emulate, and among them maybe a truly great leader in the Church.
Maria Goretti’s canonization in 1950 was so thronged with people that, for the first time, the ceremony was moved out of the Basilica into the square.
Her mother attended, as did her killer.
In 2015 my friend Fr. Carlos Martins, through his apostolate Treasures of the Church, brought the body of St. Maria to make a pilgrimage tour through these USA. In his talks and videos he tells her story and about Alessandro’s amazing conversion.
This is a beautiful saint to invoke in these confused times when the ideologically driven are trying to twist the very nature of man in sheer defiance of His will.
She is a mighty intercessor. I am told by my exorcist friends that demons react violently to her very mention, not just her relics.
My 1st class relic of St. Maria Goretti.
Here is a snippet from the sermon Ven. Pius XII gave for the canonization of St Maria Goretti, whose feast is today.
Pius, the Last Roman Pope, from about 1950 onward, seeing what was going on in society called for greater purity. What would he think about today?
The place: St. Peter’s Square, completely jammed
The date: 24 June 1950
The occasion: the canonization of St Maria Goretti
Full text HERE.
What you hear Pius XII say in the recording:
Perchè, diletti figli, siete accorsi in così sterminato numero alla sua glorificazione? Perchè, ascoltando o leggendo il racconto della sua breve vita, così somigliante a una limpida narrazione evangelica per semplicità di linee, per colore di ambiente, per la stessa fulminea violenza della morte, vi siete inteneriti fino alle lacrime? Perchè Maria Goretti ha conquistato così rapidamente i vostri cuori, fino a divenirne la prediletta, la beniamina? Vi è dunque in questo mondo, apparentemente travolto e immerso nell’edonismo, non soltanto una sparuta schiera di eletti assetati di cielo e di aria pura, ma folla, ma immense moltitudini, sulle quali il soprannaturale profumo della purezza cristiana esercita un fascino irresistibile e promettente : promettente e rassicurante.
Why, beloved children, have you rushed in such boundless numbers to her glorification? Why, hearing or reading the account of her brief life, so much like a pristine gospel narrative for the simplicity of its line, for the painting of its setting, for the very flaming violence of the death, were you touched even to tears? Why has Maria Goretti conquered your hearts so quickly, even to the point of becoming your favorite, your darling? Thus, there is in this world, manifestly overwhelmed and sunk into hedonism, not only a sparse crowd of the chosen, thirsting for heaven and pure air, but a throng, but an immense multitude, upon which the supernatural fragrance of Christian purity works an irresistible and promising allure: promising and encouraging.
Some visuals to go along with the sound.
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 (pause, insert special intention here), and may we one day enjoy with thee the imperishable glory of Heaven. Amen.
Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory be … St. Maria Goretti, pray for us!
GO TO CONFESSION!
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I came across this last night:
This means that one can have either a holy or an unholy response to traumatic events. As Kyle Clement notes: An example of the holy response that rejects the “victim” mentality is St. Maria Goretti, who was murdered during an attempted rape. During the attack she defended her purity and prayed for her attacker (Alessandro) that he would not commit this mortal sin and grave offense to God. After years in prison, Alessandro finally converted through her intercession (by his own words). Upon eventual release from prison, he entered a Capuchin monastery to live a life of penance and even stood with her family during her canonization ceremony in Rome. This … provides the key for us to unlocking true freedom. [44]
This story from the life of a modern saint highlights the importance of the subjective response along the trauma-violence continuum. An experienced exorcist will tell you that Saint Maria Goretti is a powerful intercessor, perhaps because many cases today involve sexual trauma and disorder. Her charism is not simply sexual purity, however, but also emblematic of a perfected response along the violence-trauma continuum. She did not have a traumatic response to the bodily violence she suffered, but rather she chose to become another Christ. Like Christ, she suffered physical violence, but her objective offering for the soul of her attacker trumped her subjective response to the event. In the process, many graces were poured out.
Dan Schneider, Ph.D.; Chad Ripperger. The Liber Christo Method: A Field Manual for Spiritual Combat, TAN Books, 2023 (Kindle Locations 670-680).
Awesome post Padre. Thank you.
Some of my family members have felt the power of St. Maria Goretti’s intercession, and that would include her power over the visible signs and influence of the demonic in a person I knew. The demons seem powerless against her. Your exorcist friends telling you that ” demons react violently to her very mention, not just her relics,” makes perfect sense to me from the perspective of my lived experience.
Of noteworthy value in our sadly porn-afflicted society:
Towards the end of his life, when he was nearly 80 years old, Alessandro Serenelli wrote a letter about what he had done, the consequences and what had transpired after the event. In the letter, he explained the cause of his actions : ” My behavior was influenced by print, mass-media and bad examples which are followed by the majority of young people without even thinking. And I did the same. I was not worried.”
The writers I’ve read who are bold enough to comment on that part, say he was talking about the pornography of his time. Maria Goretti died on July 6, 1902 . This is 2023.
His letter concludes thus: “I hope this letter that I wrote can teach others the happy lesson of avoiding evil and of always following the right path, like little children. I feel that religion with its precepts is not something we can live without, but rather it is the real comfort, the real strength in life and the only safe way in every circumstance, even the most painful ones of life.”
I try to pray 3 Hail Mary’s with St. Maria Goretti each morning. . . her intercession is powerful I also pray a Hail Mary each morning for/with Alessandro Serenelli.
God bless you Padre.
Thank you for the link to the speech of Pope Pius XII, Fr. Z.
Why has it become so hard to search the Vatican website? Even typing in Pius XII yielded no results. I remember it being much easier prior to this pontificate.