South Jersey Church Hosts Relics Of St. Maria Goretti
By Cleve Bryan, John McDevitt
MERCHANTVILLE, N.J., (CBS) -- All day crowds have flocked to St. Peter's Church in Merchantville.
With bent knees and outstretched hands people lifted up prayers in the presence of the youngest saint in the Roman Catholic church, Maria Goretti.
"It was just amazing is how I would describe it."
Encased in a wax sculpture Goretti's body is traveling for the first time through the United States as a tour called the Pilgrimage of Mercy.
"In some sense mercy is what Christianity is, Jesus Christ is the Mercy of God the Father," said Father Carlos Martins, Pilgrimage of Mercy Director.
In 1902 Goretti was stabbed to death in Italy at the age of 12 during a rape attempt. In her last hours she forgave her attacker and according to church history appeared to him while in jail. The man later became a Franciscan friar and Goretti is known as the patroness of mercy.
"The fact that she forgave him I thought that was pretty amazing to me," said Janet Blanchard.
"To have that much compassion for her murder at that age just really fascinates me. It's just unbelievable," said Eileen McCloskey.
"I'm still feeling the impact right now in my spirit it's just amazing," said Josiphine Mastrianni.
"As Catholics the touch of a relic is important because that's how God communicates to us his grace. Relics are not magic they don't contain any power of their own, any benefit that comes through them is by way of God," said Father Martins.
Goretti's tour hit 53 cities in 55 days and is intended to prepare Catholics for the year of mercy that Pope Francis declared will begin on December 8th. Father Martins who directs the tour says large crowds show up and for some the experience is life-changing.
"This morning a woman who had been raped 20 years ago approached me and stated that prior to today she was never able to forgive her rapist."
From here the Pilgrimage of Mercy goes to Detroit, Michigan but there is still time to see Maria Goretti. St. Peter's will have mass at 7 p.m and you can visit until 10 p.m. tonight.
