Blessed Pierina Morosini was born in 1931 in Bergamo, Italy. Her family was poor, and she was one of eight children. When she was 15, Pierina went to work in a factory.
Pierina had made a private vow to God to live a life of chastity. She taught catechism, and although she considered entering a religious order, she stayed home to help her mother care for their family.
When she was 26, Pierina was attacked on her way home by a man who tried to rape her. She fought against him, upholding her vow of chastity to God, and he stoned her to death.
Pope John Paul II beatified Pierina in 1987. She is the patron of rape victims.
