15th Jun - B ALBERTINA BERKENBROCK (1919-1931)

 Albertina was born in Sao Luis, Imarui, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her grandparents immigrated from Schoppingen, Germany to Brazil and brought with them their three children, 

    one of who was Johann Hermann, who would become Albertina's father. Johann married Elisabeth Schmoller and the couple had nine children. 

    They were a pious farming family that attended Church regularly and lived out their faith in their daily lives. At the age of nine, she made her First Communion, 

    an experience she described as the most beautiful day of her life. She also had special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a model of purity. 

    On June 15, one of her father's employees, tried to rape her. She fought back, but when the attacker realized he would fail and she would identify him, 

    he grasped her by the hair and slit her throat with a knife. He tried to cover up his crime by blaming it on another man and then fled, but was arrested. 

    He confessed to his crime as well as two other murders. He was tried, convicted and given a life sentence. In prison, he admitted to his fellow prisoners that he murdered Albertina 

    because she resisted his rape attempts. Shortly after her death, people began speaking of graces received through Albertina's intercession. 

    Albertina is considered a martyr in the defence of chastity. She was venerated on December 16, 2006 by Benedict XVI and was beatified in 2007.





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