Saint Maria Goretti is an excellent example of mercy. In 1902 at 11 years of age, just 2 months before her 12th birthday, Maria was accosted by the young man Alessandro Serenelli who lived with his father in the same house as the Gorettis’. Alessandro once again was insisting on sexually molesting her. He threatened her with death if she would not have an immoral relationship with him. Maria's response was, "No! No! It is a sin!" She had repeatedly warned Alessandro that he was risking eternal damnation. Alessandro then stabbed her once in the throat and walked away sure that she was dead. Though she was alive, she was desperately trying to crawl along the floor for help. Alessandro came back, seeing that she was alive, stabbed her 13 more times. Maria was then found and taken into immediate care. …show more content…
She talked to him, and told him that she forgave him. Alessandro, a murderer at 20 years of age, was to give his own testimony to the virtue of the young Catholic girl who sacrificed her life to preserve her virginity. When he got out of prison he converted to Catholicism and tried to straighten up his life of the past. "Maria Goretti is really a saint, a martyr. How many times at night, when I cannot sleep, I begin to think, 'If there are martyrs in Paradise, she is the first among them -- after all I did to her.'" Alessandro