Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Maria Goretti, born in Italy in 1890. When she was 11, she made her first Holy Communion. The priest’s message to the first communicants before their first Holy Communion, was, “purity at all costs”. Less than two months later, Maria, put these words into practice, when Alessandro Serenelli, a 19-year-old man, made advances toward her. On July 5, 1902, while Maria’s mother was working in the field, Alessandro came to Maria with a knife. Although she fought with all her strength, he stabbed her 14 times. Before she died he told the priest she forgave Alesandro.
He was arrested & put in jail and would remain there for 30 years. 8 years after his arrest, one night he had a dream in which he saw Maria, in a field of flowers, holding out some white lilies to him. In 1910, he wrote a letter to the bishop, begging pardon for his sin. The Christmas Eve after he was released from prison, he went to visit Maria’s mother to beg pardon. That night, both attended Midnight Mass. He would later attend her canonization. May St. Maria Goretti help us to forgive those who hurt us and through the intercession of Virgin Most Pure, obtain for us the grace of purity, and live the words of the priest, to the first Communicants, “purity at all costs”.
