July 6: On the Feast of St. Maria Goretti: A Holy Card “Signed” by Her Mother

The Papal Artifacts’ Collection is primarily dedicated to artifacts connected to the papacy.  Individual popes, their biographies and multiple items belonging to them, including first and second class relics, make up the majority of this Collection.  But that isn’t all it is.

Father Kunst has a deep devotion to the saints as can be readily seen in viewing the Saints & Blesseds section of this site. We invite you to visit Papal History/Saints & Blesseds to view the many canonized and beatified men and women who make up this section of the Collection.

Another category is also included with this Collection: Notable Individuals.  These are people significantly associated with the Catholic Church who have not been canonized but contributed in outstanding ways to the church.

Assunta Goretti is one of them.

The mother of St. Maria Goretti signed the holy card with a cross rather than with her name because she was illiterate.

A second signature/cross of hers is on a separate sheet of paper.

A third sheet of paper confirms the signatures of the saint’s mother.

Pope Pius XII canonized St. Maria Goretti in 1950 and her mother was present at the canonization.

Assunta Goretti was the mother of St. Maria Goretti. July 6th is the feast day of St. Maria Goretti, one of the youngest saints of the Church and the patroness of youth. Born in 1890 to poor farm workers, Maria was stabbed fourteen times by a nineteen-year-old neighbor, Alessandro Serenelli, who was attempting to rape her. While she fought him, she said she would rather die than allow the assault. She did die from her wounds. Maria was eleven years old. While she is considered a martyr because she fought Alessandro’s attempts to assault her, the most important aspect of her story is her forgiveness of her attacker.

When Pope Pius XII canonized her during the Holy Year 1950, not only were her mother and several siblings present, but also a repentant Alessandro who upon his release from prison begged Maria’s mother to forgive him, which she did.