St. Maria Goretti
Patron Saint of Victims of Rape
St. Maria Goretti is an Italian-virgin martyr from a humble farming family. When Maria was nine years old, her father passed away, putting her family into financial hardship. To ease some of their suffering, the family began sharing a home with the Serenelli family. While Maria’s mother took care of the farm, Maria took care of the household duties. One afternoon while Maria was home alone, Anthony Serenelli made sexual advances to Maria. When Maria refused him, he stabbed her fourteen times. As Maria was dying, she looked at Anthony and forgave him for murdering her.