“Virginity is a profound silence from all cares of this earth.” - Blessed Pierina Morosini

Blessed Pierina Morosini lived an exemplary life of devotion and purity. She was born into a poor family of eight children in 1931 in the Diocese of Bergamo, Italy. Pierina was trained to be a seamstress and by the time she became a teen, she had become very skilled in it. When she was fifteen, she took a job as a shift worker at a nearby textile factory in order to help with family expenses. Her habit was to attend an early morning Mass before her 6:00 a.m. shift began. She would use her work break to slip out to a neighbourhood church for some prayer time in the silent chapel.

Pierina joined her parish’s chapter of Catholic Action, a European-based lay group which existed to create a greater influence of the Catholic faith in the community during times of anti-religious fascism. At her parish, she was asked to lead the youngest age group for Catholic Action. In that role, she had a rare opportunity to go to Rome to attend the April 1947 beatification Mass for Saint Maria Goretti. She was so captivated by Maria’s story that she exclaimed: “I would let myself be killed, too!” “I want to be like her.” 

Pierina had made a private vow to God to live a life of chastity. She taught catechism and considered religious life, but continued to live at home to help her mother. Everyday while she was walking to the factory and then later back home, she would use the time to recite the rosary.

On April 4, 1957, while she was walking home from work in the afternoon, praying her rosary as usual, she was approached by a stranger. He quickly tried to remove her clothing and rape her. Terrified, Pierina fought him off with all her strength. Her assailant used a rock repeatedly to bash her head. Pierina was able to crawl a short distance with a badly broken skull, and then passed out.


Seeing that their sister was late to arrive home, one of her brothers went looking for her, and found her unconscious and badly wounded, but with her Rosary still clutched in her hand. She was taken to a hospital, but never regained consciousness and died two days later.

Thirty years after her death, in July of 1987, Pope [St.] John Paul II declared that Pierina died “in defence of purity”, and she was beatified at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on October 4 of that same year. Blessed Pierina is a patroness for rape victims, and the cause for her canonization remains open.

“Pierina is blessed because she is pure of heart. She proclaims her message with the silent strength of martyrdom, writing a hymn to Christ with her blood.” – (Saint John Paul II during the homily of the beatification of Blessed Pierina Morosini)

Other Saints of the Day

1. Saint Marcellinus the Marty
2. Saint Timothy of Philippi
3. Saint Secundus of Sirmium
4. Saint Saturus of Sirmium
5. Saint Phaolô Lê Bao Tinh