Feast of St. Maria Goretti

This statue at St. Maria Goretti Church in Scottsdale depicts the parish’s patron saint. (Ambria Hammel/CATHOLIC SUN)
This painting at St. Maria Goretti Church in Scottsdale depicts the parish’s patron saint. The banner held by the angels recalls the saint’s final act of forgiving her attacker. A relic of her is encased at the bottom of the painting. (Ambria Hammel/CATHOLIC SUN)

July 6

This young martyr was born to poor farmers in Italy. After her father’s death, Maria was in charge of the household while her mother worked in the fields.

When she was alone at age 11, a young man named Alessandro tried to rape Maria. She resisted and he stabbed her several times then fled. On her deathbed, she forgave Alessandro and hoped God would as well.

Alessandro was sentenced to prison, where he expressed remorse after Maria appeared to him in a dream with a bouquet of lilies.

She is the patroness of St. Maria Goretti Parish, preschool and kindergarten in Scottsdale.

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