St. Maria Goretti Society, SMGS, was founded by students at St. Henry District High School in 2005.  Our purpose is to raise student awareness  of Chastity and True Love, and provide support to fellow students wishing to pursue happiness and a chaste life.  Our objectives are to Discover, Educate, Support & Commit:  to discover what Chastity and True Love really mean and how to defend those concepts in our modern-day society; to educate ourselves, our friends, classmates, and our community on the reasons why striving to live a pure life is so important; to provide support to ourselves and others through friendship, acceptance, forgiveness and prayer; and to commit to pursuing and living a lifestyle that upholds the virtues of Chastity and Love.

"Purity knows no regrets." - Jason Evert

2011 - 2012 Officers
President - Annie Roch
Vice President - Sarah Bier
Treasurer - Cassie Sallee
Secretary - Maria Linkugel
News Reporter - Molly Couch
Faculty Advisor - Pamela Kammerer pkammerer@shdhs.org

Who was Maria Goretti?

St. Maria Goretti is the youngest person ever canonized as a Saint by the Roman Catholic Church.  In 1902, at age of 11, she died as a result of wounds she received fighting off the sexual advances of Alessandro Serenelli, a 20-year old man who lived with his father in the same building as Maria and her family. For years he had propositioned her and made many impure advances, but Maria was resolved to remain chaste. She faithfully continued to refuse him. As he approached her for the last time, she shouted, "No! It is a sin! God does not want it," and Alessandro proceeded to stab her multiple times.  She later died in the hospital. Maria Goretti was canonized by Pope Pius XII on June 24, 1950. He proposed her as the Patroness of Modern Youth and set July 6th as her Feast Day. Before she died, Maria openly forgave Alessandro, and on the day of her canonization, her mother and her murderer, attended the canonization ceremony together. 

Learn More About The Theology of the Body for Teens! Based on The Theology of the Body, by John Paul II

Read and Learn about The Chastity Revolution

We haven’t read all of these books yet, but they come highly recommended by Catholic bishops, priests and youth ministers from all over the country.  We have bought them and have them in our collection so that we can begin reading through them to learn about the Chastity Revolution.  Check ‘em out! 

The Theology of the Body – Human Love in the Divine Plan. John Paul II. 1997.

The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II, 1995.

Real Love: Answers to Your Questions on Dating, Marriage and the Real

Meaning of Sex, 1996. Mary Beth Bonacci.

If You Really Loved Me: 101 Questions on Dating, Relationships, and Sexual Purity, 2003.  Jason Evert.

Christian Courtship in an Over-Sexed World: A Guide for Catholics, 2003. T.G. Morrow.