Following Maria Goretti

A Personal Journey from Her Birthplace to Martyrdom

By: Bret Thoman

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

On July 5, 1902, Maria Goretti was brutally stabbed to death by Alessandro Serenelli. The 11-year-old virgin-martyr not only fought to maintain her purity, she forgave her killer and declared that she wanted him to be with her in Heaven. In this unique narrative, author Bret Thoman brings the story to life by accompanying the reader on a literary pilgrimage. He personally visits and describes in vivid detail the sites where the young saint lived: Corinaldo, where she was born; Paliano, near Rome, the site of the Goretti family’s first migration; the farmhouse, where she was attacked; and Nettuno, where she was hospitalized, died, and is buried. The author took dozens of photographs, which are published in this edition.

This book also closely explores the life of Alessandro Serenelli—Maria’s murderer and the other protagonist of the story. The author not only visited the village where he was born, he had the opportunity to interview three Capuchin friars who lived with and knew Alessandro Serenelli well. Their reflections are invaluable in understanding the complex character of Alessandro.

This book is written to accompany Thoman’s biography of the young martyr, St. Maria Goretti: A Journey into Forgiveness and Redemption. The result of these two works is a fresh new look at the saintly life of Maria Goretti, the gruesome murder, and the redemption of Alessandro Serenelli.

With a foreword by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, himself a devotee of St. Maria Goretti, these two books offer an unparalleled portrait of the lives, personalities, and milieu of Maria Goretti and Alessandro Serenelli. What emerges is truly a Journey into Forgiveness and Redemption. Whether you will journey to these sites in Italy on pilgrimage or plan to visit them through this book from the comfort of your armchair at home, may the Holy Spirit guide you as you begin.