Blessed Pierina Morosini: the Inspirational Patroness of Rape Victims

Most of us are familiar with the child saint, Maria Goretti, who, at the age of eleven, was brutally murdered defending her chastity. St. Maria was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1947 and canonized a saint by him in 1950. She is the patron saint of chastity, rape victims, teenage girls and forgiveness.

But there is another young woman from Italy who is not nearly as well known as Maria Goretti. She too, died defending her chastity and honor. Her name is Pierina Morosini and she was beatified exactly 40 years after Maria's beatification. She was also declared a patroness of rape victims. Pope St. John Paul II beatified Pierina in 1987. Unlike St. Maria Goretti who died at the age of eleven, Blessed Pierina was 26 years old at the time of her murder.

Pierina was born in Fiobbio, a town in northern Italy, on January 7 1931. She was baptized into the faith the very next day at the local parish church. She would be the first born of eight children to Rocco and Sara Morosini. Pierina's dad was a night watchman at a local factory and worked in the fields during the day. Her mom, a devout Catholic, was the primary instructor of the faith for her children. Pierina, as the oldest, became her mom's assistant and spent much of her time helping her care for all the other kids and do housekeeping. She also learned how to be a seamstress.

Pierina, besides helping her mom seven days a week at home, took a position in a cotton factory to help bring money into the household. The job was 4 kilometers away (about 2.5 miles) and Pierina worked eight hour staggered shifts; one week 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the next week, 2 p.m. to 10. p.m. These hours always required her walking back and forth a minimum of three hours a day through forest and fields. As she walked she prayed the Rosary over and over and over. Every chance she had she attended Mass and received Holy Communion.

She had joined Catholic Action and tried to be as active as possible with her harried schedule. As part of being a member of Catholic Action in her parish she had the opportunity to leave her home for the only time in her life to attend the beatification of Maria Goretti in Rome. The year was 1947.

The story a Maria Goretti had a profound affect on Pierina. Pierina, being from a small village and exposed to the grandeur of Rome and its surroundings, held her breathless. She even caught a glimpse of the Pope. Finally, understanding how this was all being done for young Maria Goretti, who had offered herself in martyrdom for her faith and offered forgiveness to her killer, caused Pierina to want be just like the newly beatified girl.

Pierina was quoted as saying, "How I would love the death of Maria Goretti to touch me. I want to look like her...I want to be like her. " Blessed Maria Goretti had become Pierina Morosini's inspiration. She began to wear the Carmelite (Brown) scapular and also joined the Third Order of St. Francis. She tried desperately to convince her parents to allow her to join a religious order. They refused to allow her to do so.

On April 4, 1957, somewhere between 3 and 3:30 p.m., Pierina was walking home through the meadows from work. As usual, she was holding her Rosary in her hand as she fingered the beads in prayer. Suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, a man appeared in front of her. Her instincts filled her with fear. Her instincts were correct. The stranger demanded to have sex with the young woman.

Pierina had made a vow of chastity. She refused but the man insisted and began to force himself on the terrified, young woman. She tried to fight him off but he was too big and too strong. The man became enraged when she continued to fight back at him. He picked up a large rock and began to smash the innocent woman in the head. He smashed in her skull.

Pierina managed to crawl a little distance away from the site of he attack and then fell unconscious. Her brother, out looking for his sister who was quite late, found his bloodied sister on the side of the road. Her Rosary was still in her hand. Pierina was taken to the hospital but it was too late. She never regained consciousness and died on April 6, 1957

On July 3, 1987, Pope John Paul II declared that Pierina Morosini had died "in defensum castitatis" (in defense of purity) and approved her beatification. A "Nihil Obstat" (nothing stands in the way" was issued and, on October 4, 1987, Pierina Morosini became Blessed Pierina Morosini.

Blessed Pierina Morosini was quoted as saying, "May I never allow myself even the smallest compromise with sin, whether in dress, speech, reading, looks, or entertainment."

As, St. Maria Goretti inspired Blessed Pierina Morosini, Blessed Pierina inspires us all.

Blessed Pierina Morosini, please pray for us.