Saint July 6 : St. Maria Goretti : Patron of Teen Girls and Crime Victims

St. Maria Goretti

VIRGIN AND MARTYR

Feast: July 6

Information: Feast Day: July 6 Born: October 16, 1890(1890-10-16), Corinaldo, Province of Ancona, Marche, Kingdom of Italy Died: July 6, 1902 (aged 11), Nettuno, Province of Rome, Lazio, Kingdom of Italy Canonized: June 24, 1950, Rome by Pope Pius XII Major Shrine: Nettuno, Province of Rome, Lazio, Italy Patron of: Crime victims, teenage girls, modern youth, Children of Mary

Virgin martyr and miracle worker in death. She was stabbed to death on July 6 while resisting the advances of the son of her father's business partner. Maria was born in Corinaldo, Italy, the daughter of a farmer who moved the family to Ferriere di Conca, near Anzio. There Alexander Serenelli, a youth who lived in the same house, tried to seduce the young Maria. When she refused him, Alexander stabbed her repeatedly. Arrested for the murder, he was imprisoned and experienced a vision of Maria. Her cuase was opened becuase she was credited with some forty miracles after her death. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII (r. 1939-1958) in 1950, as a model of purity. Alexander attended her canonization.

SOURCE: EWTN