Do you know who the youngest saint is? Maria Goretti, the youngest saint, was born in 1890. When she was twelve Her neighbor, Alessandro, tried to rape her. Instead of giving into sin, Maria said that she would rather die than submit. She died one day later after forgiving Alessandro. Alessandro went to jail for his sin. One day she appeared to him and he was filled with peace. I chose to write about Maria Goretti is because we share the same first name and we both lost our dads at age nine.

Maria Teresa Goretti was born in Corinaldo, Ancona, Italy on October 16, 1980 to Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini. She was the third out of seven children. The next day Maria was baptized in the church of San Francesco in Corinaldo. On October 4, 1896 she was confirmed by Mons. Giulio Boschi, Bishop of Senigallia and on June 16, 1901 Maria received her first Holy Communion in the church of Conca, today called Borgo Montello. On July 5, 1902, her life changed forever. Maria was sitting on her front porch mending a shirt when her eighteen year old neighbor, Alessandro, pulled her into his bedroom. When he pulled her inside he tried to rape her. Maria started screaming “No! It is a sin! God does not want it! You shall surely go to hell!” He tried to rape her again but this time she shouted that she would rather die than submit. Alessandro was prepared and pulled out a knife a stabbed her fourteen times. They hurried to take her to the hospital but it was too late. She lived for one more agonizing day. Maria dies at the age of twelve years, nine months, and twenty one days. The amazing thing was that she forgave her attacker, Alessandro. Right before she died her gaze fell upon a picture of the virgin Mary.

St. Maria’s family could never afford to send her to school so she never learned how to read or write. Even so she made the effort to walk to a school to study religion, walk back, and still make it in time to finish her chores. So when people heard that she would rather die than sin was amazing. The way that she put God before her own life is something even something people today struggle with. St. Maria Goretti is a role model for how to love god with all your mind, all your heart, and all your soul. Assunta, her mother, taught her to love God, to die rather than offend him. Assunta said “I taught her the fear of God and God did the rest”.

Alessandro went to jail for his sin. For six years he never repented.Then one day Maria, herself, appeared to him. The prison cell turned into a garden. She gathered lilies, the flower of purity. When Alessandro took each flower, each lily turned into a single white flame immediately after that Alessandro was filled with peace. He repented his sin and shamed himself for doing such evil things. When Alessandro was released from prison the first thing he did was to beg forgiveness of Assunta. She forgave him because if her daughter could forgive her murderer then she could to. On June 24, 1950 Maria was canonized. There was 250,000 people at her canonization including Alessandro and Assunta. Assunta became the only and first mother to be at the canonization of her own child.

Now do you know who the youngest saint is? Maria Goretti was an innocent 12 year old girl with a big heart full of love for God. She never learned how to read or write but made the effort to study to get her First Holy Communion. Maria knew will enough to love God more than her own life. Alessandro repented after Maria died and begged forgiveness. He attended her canonization with Maria’s mom.