THE STORY OF THE SAINTS - BY FATHER ED

St. Maria Goretti (1890-1902) Maria Goretti was just 12 years old when she died in defense of her purity on July 6, 1902. She was canonized by Pope Pius Xll in 1950 and it was the first time in history that the mother of a saint was present at the canonization. She was born in Nettuno, Italy, not far from Anzio where American soldiers landed in Word War ll; the site of a ferocious battle with the Germans. There is a large cemetery there, which I visited when I was a student in Rome. Maria's father died when she was ten years old. One of the men who had worked with him had made several attempts to seduce her. Her refusal angered the man so much that he stabbed her fourteen times. Maria died in the hospital at Nettuno after forgiving her assassin. In 1910, during his 8th year in prison, the man was converted after a dream in which the young martyr told him that she was praying for him. He was released from prison in 1928 and was also present with Maria's mother at the canonization ceremony. He spent his last years as a Franciscan Tertiary with the Capuchins and died in 1970. His name was Alexander Serenelli. Maria's defense of her virginity may not make much sense to many people in the world today; but then again, the Gospel doesn't make sense to them either.