Saint Maria Goretti

Maria Goretti was born into a poor farming family that moved often in search of work, eventually settling near Nettuno, where they shared a home with another family. At not yet twelve years old, she was attacked by a young man from that household, who attempted to sexually assault her; when she resisted and refused to submit, he stabbed her repeatedly. Maria died the following day in a hospital, having explicitly forgiven her attacker and expressed hope that he would one day be with her in heaven. Her attacker, imprisoned for the crime, later described a dream of Maria offering him lilies, after which he became genuinely penitent; upon his release decades later, he personally sought forgiveness from Maria's mother, who forgave him, and the two attended Mass together the next day. Maria was canonized in 1950, with her own mother present, becoming known worldwide as a witness to both forgiveness and the defense of one's dignity.