📚 St. Maria Goretti

St. Maria Goretti was an Italian virgin martyr known for her heroic purity, deep faith, and extraordinary forgiveness. Born in 1890 to a poor farming family, she was attacked at age 11 by a young man who attempted to assault her. She resisted, choosing death rather than sin, and died the next day from her wounds—but not before forgiving her attacker. Her canonization highlighted the virtue of chastity and the power of mercy, especially as her attacker later repented and was present at her canonization.

Lived: 1890 – 1902 | Feast Day: July 6 | Canonized: June 24, 1950
Patronage: Purity, young girls, victims of rape, and forgiveness.