Santo alessandro serenelli biography

Then one night, Maria appeared to him in his cell. She smiled at Alessandro and was surrounded by lilies, the flower symbolic of purity. From that moment, peace invaded Alessandro's heart, and he began to live a constructive life. After serving his sentence, Alessandro took up residence at a Capuchin monastery, working in the garden as a tertiary.

He asked pardon of Maria's mother and accompanied her to Christmas Mass in the parish church where he spoke before the hushed congregation, acknowledging his sin and asking God's forgiveness and the pardon of the community. Forty years later, on June 24,Maria was canonized at St. Peter's basilica in Rome, with Alessandro's heart now firmly converted to the Lord.

A miraculous fruit of Maria's life, indeed! Alessandro Serenelli died on May 6th, in the Capuchin convent of Macerata. Maria was declared a martyr by the Church and was canonized in Alessandro lived long enough to see Maria's canonization, a living testament to the power of her forgiveness. The story of St. Maria Goretti and Alessandro Serenelli serves as a powerful narrative of divine grace and redemption.

It underscores the depth of Maria's faith and her ability to forgive even in her dying moments. It also shows us that no one is beyond the reach of forgiveness and transformation. While we remember St. Maria Goretti for her purity and saintly virtues, let us also remember her as an emblem of grace that changed a sinner into a penitent believer.

As we remember her on her feast day, let her story inspire us to practice forgiveness and hope for redemption in our own lives. Laudate Mariam is the Philippines' leading online store for personalized Catholic products, such as bracelets, necklaces, home accessories, and more. Shopping Cart 0. Close Your cart is currently empty.

Santo alessandro serenelli biography: Alessandro Serenelli (Ancona, Itália, 2 de

A judge recognized his good behavior in prison and released him early. Assunta told him that if God and Maria had forgiven him, she could not withhold her own forgiveness; she accompanied him to Christmas Mass and received Holy Communion alongside him. The Capuchin monks embraced him with fraternal charity—accepting among them a convicted murderer who had grown up with pornography and impure desires.

They did not see a man whose sins had to define him forever. They saw a man who wished to become a saint. At the same time, this story reminds us that God calls us to cooperate in the salvation of others! We must learn to forgive those who have hurt us and others; it is required of us. Christ taught us to pray: Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And it is not only for our own sakes that we should forgive. Furthermore, we cannot count how much Serenelli needed the love of the men and women on earth who supported and strengthened him as he did penance in life of humble labor. We cannot imagine how the devil may have tempted him to despair, or back into impurity. But we do know that he did not walk his journey of redemption alone.

We should also pray unceasingly for the contrite, who face diabolical trials and temptations as they do their penances. She desperately fought to stop him from proceeding. She kept screaming, "No! It is a sin! God does not want it! She tried to reach for the door, but he stopped her by stabbing her three more times before he fled the scene.

The psychiatric evaluation made during the process determined him to be mentally sane and therefore liable for his actions, but it also acknowledged that his unfortunate youth, including multiple cases of mental disorders and alcoholism within his family, to some extent attenuated his responsibility. After due process, Serenelli was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Santo alessandro serenelli biography: A captivating story of mercy and

He avoided life imprisonment because Italian law at the time set the age of majority at 21 and so he was not yet of age to be subject to that penalty. He was released from prison inafter he had served 27 years. Of the 30 to which he had been sentenced, one year was remitted by the general pardon to all prisoners after the Italian victory in World War Iand a further two years was remitted for good behaviour.

On the night of ChristmasSerenelli begged forgiveness on his knees from Assunta Goretti, Maria's mother. She forgave him and said that she could not refuse since Maria had already done so on her deathbed. Having worked sporadically as a farmer and laborer, Serenelli eventually retired to a monastery of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchinwhere he served as a gardener and porter and eventually was accepted as a religious brother.

She was the first mother ever to attend the canonisation ceremony of one of her children. Serenelli died on 6 May at the age of 87 in a convent at Macerata from complications relating to a fracture of his femur after a fall. Around a decade earlier, he had written the following as part of his will:. I am nearly 80 years old.

Santo alessandro serenelli biography: Alessandro Serenelli, OFM Cap. (2

I am about to die. Looking back at my past, I can see that in my early youth, I chose a bad path which led me to ruin myself. My behavior was influenced by print, mass media and bad examples which are followed by the majority of young people without even thinking. And I did the same.