July 6
St. Maria Goretti
An Italian farm girl martyred in 1902 at age eleven after being stabbed fourteen times. She forgave her killer before she died, and he later converted in prison and attended her canonization in 1950 alongside her mother. Maria Goretti is the patron saint of rape victims and purity.
Why it matters for your parish:
Her story of forgiveness — her killer attending her canonization — is one of the most dramatic examples of redemption in modern Catholic history. Meaningful for survivors of assault and for reflection on purity and mercy.
Graphics for this saint are coming soon.