Champion of chastity

Genesis 28:10-22; Psalm 91 In you, my God, I place my trust; Matthew 9:18-26 

To we celebrate the memorial of Maria Goretti.  She was born in 1890 and was killed in 1902. 

A young vibrant girl who sought to live a life of love for God and others.  With her family, she moved from her birth town to Rome and then to a farm outside of Rome, where her family was basically tenant farmers. 

Her father became ill with menigitis and malaria and thus they needed to partner up with another family in harvesting the crop.   This father and son tandem  would eventually lead to the death of Maria Goretti. 

The young man, Alessandro Serenelli who was brought on to assist the Goretti family began to take interest in Maria.  He burned with lust and desired to sexually assault her. 

on 1902, his lust and rage overcame him, and he dragged Maria at age 11 to a room and forced himself upon her, he being 18 at the time.  With a knife in one hand, holding her down with the other, he threatened to kill her if she did not give in to sex.  Maria refused to give in for the sake of her chastity, for the sake of her soul and his soul as well. 

In a fit of rage, Alessandro began to attack her with the blade, stabbing her 14 times and leaving her for dead.  

Maria was discovered and taken to the hospital where she lingered suffering for hours.  Mortally wounded, the priest was sent for to give her Viaticum.  Upon arriving the priest asked Maria if she forgave her attacker, she responded, "I, too, pardon him. I, too, wish that he come some day and join me in Heaven."  

The story is tragic on several levels.

Because of poverty and illness the family was forced in a compromising situation where strangers were invited into their family.  

Secondly, while Maria grew up in a devout and faith filled family, Alessandro, the attacker, was not.  Hi mother was put in an asylum and his father abandoned him at the age of 12.  Alone, he was passed around from relative to relative, ending up working in the shipyards, where he was introduced to violent and lewd materials and posters.  

When he met back up with his father some 6 years later, he was well immersed in graphic and pornographic material.  slowly, he began to burn with lust and rage. 

This is what fueled his attack on Maria. 

In reminds us of the importance of good parents to form their children.  It warns us of the damage and destruction that  lewd and violent material has on one's development.  

If you look at today, with the constant flood of sexual graphic movies and books and the like, it is easy to see why we are in the state we are with a moral decline and no respect for sexual purity. 

Eventually, however, Alessandro does have a conversion.  In prison he has a vision of Maria Goretti which begins is conversion.  

In his cell, Nov 10, 1910 he writes on the floor, "I am deeply sorry for what has happened.  I have taken the life of an innocent girl whose one aim was to save her purity, shedding her blood rather than give in to my sinful desires.  I publicly retract the evil I have done  and beg pardon of God and of the stricken family.  One hope encourages me-that I may also one day obtain God's pardon and so may others." 

After his release he sought out Maria's mother and asked for forgiveness.  She responded simply with, "If Maria could forgive you, then so can I."  She led Him to the church where he confessed his sins before the church of Maria's hometown.  He was present at the Beatification of Maria Goretti then he entered a monastery where he spent the remainder of his life as a gardener. 

On his death bed, his last words were,"I am going again to be with Maria in paradise."

The story is a story of grace.  It is a story of how God does not give up, his grace always seeks to bring souls back to him.  Even in tragedy, grace can be found, grace is effective, love is stronger than death.

words of Pope Pius XII at canonization of St.Maria Goretti

"Finally, all of you are intently listening to Our words, know that above the unhealthy marshes and filth of the world, stretches an immense heaven of beauty.  It is the heaven which fascinated little Maria; the heaven to which she longed to ascend by the only road that leads there, which is, religion, the love of Christ, and the heroic observance of His commandments."

St. Maria Goretti, youthful martyr, patroness of purity, champion of chastity, pray for us now and forever until we shall be reunited in paradise.