America's Largest Catholic Newspaper
St. Rita’s parish on Staten Island hosted major relics of St. Maria Goretti Sept. 30. Auxiliary Bishop John O’Hara served as principal celebrant at a 7:30 p.m. Mass in the saint’s honor at the parish church. Public veneration of the relics began at 7 a.m. and concluded at 11:30 p.m. Third-class relic cards were distributed to attendees. The visit was the second stop of a three-day tour in the archdiocese that began at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Sept. 28-29. Before that, the relics were in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. After touring the archdiocese, they traveled to the Diocese of Brooklyn. An Italian virgin and martyr born Oct. 16, 1890, 11-year-old Maria Goretti was repeatedly stabbed by a young neighbor after she refused his sexual advances. She died the following day, July 6, 1902, after forgiving her attacker. She is known as the Patroness of Purity. The relic tour, also known as the Pilgrimage of Mercy, is co-sponsored by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints and the evangelization apostolate Treasures of the Church. Its purpose is to assist people in preparing for the universal Church’s celebration of an extraordinary jubilee, a Holy Year of Mercy, which Pope Francis has called for beginning Dec. 8.
