BL. TERESA BRACCO was born in 1924 to modest farmers an Italian in Savona. Her family fostered her faith at a young age and she was known to pray the rosary as she went about her daily chores. Every day she would rise early in the morning to walk to Mass, often becoming entranced by Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
After learning about St. Dominic Savio she adopted his motto for her life, “Death rather than sin.” She kept a picture of the saint hanging over her bed that inspired her on a daily basis.
One day in 1944 Teresa was out in the fields when she heard gunshots. A few people ran past urging her and her sisters to take cover. The Nazi soldiers quickly found Teresa hiding in the field and one of them carried her to the forest with the intent to rape her.
She was defiant in her resistance, with the soldier became increasingly angry. He then shot her twice and left her body in the forest. The local priest searched for her remains and brought her body to a doctor, who confirmed what happened. She was 20 years old.
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Teresa was beatified in 1998 on the occasion of (St.) Pope John Paul II's visit to Turin. Her beatification was approved after it was proven that she was killed in the defense of remaining a Christian virgin.
In his homily (St. ) John Paul II gave her as an inspiration to all young people.
“What a significant Gospel witness for the young generations who are approaching the third millennium! What a message of hope for those who are striving to run counter to the spirit of the world! To young people in particular, I hold up this young woman whom the Church is proclaiming blessed today so that they may learn from her clear faith, witnessed to in daily commitment, moral consistency without compromises and the courage of sacrificing even life if necessary, in order not to betray the values that give it meaning.
She stands with St. Maria Goretti as a patron of rape victims.”