Photo By Michael Alexander

ATLANTA—In preparation for the Year of Mercy, Atlanta area Catholics received an unexpected gift—the opportunity to venerate the major relics of St. Maria Goretti.

A “pilgrimage of mercy,” bringing the relics of the child saint to the United States for the first time, made stops on Oct. 26 at Holy Spirit Church in Atlanta and on Oct. 27 at St. Monica Church in Duluth.

At each parish the relics were displayed for more than 12 hours and Mass was celebrated, the sacrament of reconciliation was offered, and presentations were given on the life and virtues of St. Maria Goretti.

Msgr. Edward J. Dillon, pastor of Holy Spirit, said the parish was fortunate to be able to host the relics as a prelude to the Year of Mercy.

“As a pastor, it was inspiring to witness the reverence and devotion exhibited by the pilgrims, especially the school children,” said Msgr. Dillon. “We had a steady flow of people in line for confession throughout the day. And when you get down to it, God’s forgiveness and the conversion of our hearts is really what this Year of Mercy is all about.”

“I expect that the experience people had with the relics of St. Maria Goretti—both here and elsewhere—will have a positive impact on how they approach the Jubilee Year,” he said.

Maria Goretti was born in eastern Italy in 1890. To escape poverty, her father moved his family to western Italy. He died when she was 9 and Maria began to care for her five siblings while her mother worked as a sharecropper.

From the time Maria’s father died, a neighbor, Alessandro Serenelli, began to make sexual advances toward her, according to Father Carlos Martins, of the Companions of the Cross, who organized the pilgrimage of the relics to the United States.

Standing in the sanctuary of Holy Spirit Church, Atlanta, and prior to the public viewing and veneration of the major relics of St. Maria Goretti, Companions of the Cross Father Carlos Martins gives an Oct. 26 presentation about the Catholic Church’s youngest canonized saint to high school students from Holy Spirit Preparatory School. Photo By Michael Alexander

This pressure continued for many months. “She kept it to herself,” said Father Martins.

Eventually, enraged when the 11-year-old girl would not comply with his advances, Serenelli, 20, stabbed her 14 times. The attacker hit the girl’s spine twice with a dagger-like instrument, and other stabs pierced her body to the other side. Maria was unable to drink water due to the nature of her internal injuries and offered her thirst for others.

Maria died July 6, 1902, the day after the stabbing, from blood loss and infection.

As she suffered, Maria said about her attacker, “I forgive Alessandro Serenelli … and I want him with me in heaven forever.”

“And after all of that, she was still willing to forgive. That began the journey,” explained Father Martins.

While serving his 30-year prison sentence, Serenelli reported that Maria appeared to him and forgave him. That act of mercy and love filled the prisoner with contrition. It was a turning point. From that day forward, Serenelli lived a life of holiness, eventually becoming a Franciscan lay brother.

When St. Maria Goretti was canonized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII, he and the saint’s mother attended the Mass together. She is known as the patroness of purity and now the “Little Saint of Great Mercy.” She is the youngest saint to be canonized by the church.

“Forgiveness empowers a victim”

The pilgrimage of the relics began Sept. 20 in New York and concluded Nov. 11 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Father Martins, who is the director of Treasures of the Church, accompanied the relics of St. Maria Goretti throughout New England, the Midwest, and the South. He was joined by three crewmembers for the pilgrimage to more than 50 cities.

“We work 20 hours a day. It’s a labor of love,” he said.

A convert to Catholicism from atheism in 1996, Father Martins found himself drawn to St. Maria Goretti.

“I found out about Maria not long after that. I just started to devour it,” he said of her life story. “I am a biographer and historian of Maria.”

The priest says his interest is to bring others to God through Maria’s example.

The priest believes St. Maria Goretti is the “obvious choice” to shine a light on the Year of Mercy called by Pope Francis, which will begin Dec. 8.

Father Martins has heard about many physical healings from Maria’s intercession, but her example offers healing of another kind.

The priest said many victims of rapes and other crimes have left the presence of Maria Goretti with the ability to forgive perpetrators.

“Why is that important?” asked the priest. “Forgiveness empowers a victim.”

While Serenelli used physical power against Maria, she used the power of mercy to change him.

“She converted a monster through it. He knew the kind of monster he was to her,” said Father Martins.

Near the end of his life, Serenelli wrote a letter about the horrifying crime and his sentence, and how mercy transformed him.

Companions of the Cross Father Carlos Martins holds a replica of the weapon St. Maria Goretti’s assailant, Alessandro Serenelli, used to attack and murder her at the young age of 11 years old. Father Martins is the director of Treasures of the Church, one of the ministerial organizations promoting the Pilgrimage of Mercy relic tour. Photo By Michael Alexander

“Maria Goretti, now a saint, was my good angel whom God placed in my path to save me. Her words both of rebuke and forgiveness are still imprinted in my heart,” he wrote.

The tour began with a visit to Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York. Father Martins said many of the inmates openly wept upon learning the saint’s story.

“You don’t have to be an adult to be a saint”

At Holy Spirit Church, the young and old came out of the rain and into the church to venerate the relics. Some solemnly touched holy cards and rosaries to the Baroque reliquary adorned with cherubs, while others knelt in prayer for her intercession.

The glass reliquary contains a wax statue in the likeness of Maria. A silver box within the statue holds her skeletal remains. A woman healed by Maria’s intercession donated her own hair for the statue.

Parish volunteers presented holy cards to those entering the church. When the cards are touched to the reliquary they become third-class relics to be treated with respect.

Members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem stood watch over the relics.

Rebecca Schepisi, her husband and twin daughters made the trip to Holy Spirit from Smyrna, Tennessee, after learning about the pilgrimage of mercy in their parish bulletin.

“We studied a little bit about her before we came,” said Schepisi.

In addition to mercy, St. Maria Goretti is also a wonderful example of modesty and purity for young girls, she said.

“It’s been a good family trip. It was nice to have this here,” said Schepisi.

When Pope Pius XII canonized Maria Goretti in June 1950, her mother Assunta Goretti was able to attend. After her daughter’s death, she lost custody of the other children because Maria had been their caregiver.

“She forgave him as well,” remarked Schepisi. “I can’t imagine … the pain and the pride.”

Holy Spirit Preparatory School students walked to the church to see the relics of St. Maria Goretti.

“We did a religion project on our favorite saint and I chose St. Maria Goretti,” said Max Bendig, a sixth-grade student. “I think she was a model of mercy.”

“She has such a fascinating story,” said classmate Ella Duffy.

“I think it’s really cool and not everyone gets to see it,” said Maryelle Masterson about the opportunity.

The students each agreed there are little things they must forgive daily.

Religion teacher Dana Christensen said all of Holy Spirit’s fifth- and sixth-grade classes were brought over to see the relics and have been learning about Maria’s story. The visit will be tied in with the Year of Mercy and what mercy is.

And there’s another lesson for the children, added Christensen.

“You don’t have to be an adult to be a saint,” she said.

The exhibit included highlights of Maria’s life, information on why the church names saints, and how to venerate relics.

Father Jack Durkin, pastor of St. Monica Church in Duluth, said the pilgrimage was a wonderful experience.

“Maria’s story of mercy moved many pilgrims to avail themselves of the sacrament of reconciliation, so I spent all day and some of the evening hearing heartfelt and moving confessions as a minister of God’s great mercy,” said Father Durkin in an email. “I felt great peace and deepening of faith praying at the image of St. Maria which holds her major relics.”

Each tour stop concluded with an evening Mass and homily from Father Martins.

Father Durkin said that the priest’s insights never fail to move hearts with awe and wonder.

“Since her visit, confessions have increased, and I sense the power of her witness and intercession in the humility and sincerity of many of the penitents,” said Father Durkin.