Pope Paul VI praying at the tomb of St. Maria Goretti
In everything the Lord did while He was on earth, He expressed true love, selfless love.
In Him, and in our Lady, we behold perfect harmony of body and soul, perfect integrity and purity, perfect control of bodily desire.
This is the virtue of chastity: being temperate and reasonable in all of our physical actions.
In 1900, Maria Goretti’s father died. She was ten. When she was almost twelve, one of her father’s former co-workers began to make amorous advances towards her.
She rebuffed him. He threatened her with death.
She tried to dissuade him: “It is a mortal sin. You don’t want to go to hell.”
On July 6, 1902, lust got the better of him. He followed through on his threats. He stabbed Maria to death. As she died, she prayed that he would repent.
He did repent. After spending three decades in jail, he went to Maria’s mother and begged her forgiveness. They went to Mass and received Holy Communion together.
St. Maria Goretti, protect me everywhere!
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July 6, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Thank you for sharing more on Saint Maria Goretti. I did learn about her when I was young. After I read your page, I looked her up, and found out that she has an incorrupt body. Have you seen her?
July 10, 2009 at 10:33 am
I have never been to Nettuno to see St. Maria Goretti. I would love to. Have you seen her, Kristie? Anybody else been to her shrine?
July 10, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I wish I could say yes, but I have not. I would like to see her as well as St. Bernadette Soubirous. Some day in the future….:) We really need to focus on these important Saints for our children to look up to. These and all of the Saints stand firm in their faith. They are wonderful examples especially in the crazy world we live in. *SMILES*