Antonia Mesina

Although her life was primarily confined to domestic duties, Antonia was actively involved in the life of her parish. In 1929, at the age of ten, she joined the 'beniamines' section of the Women's Youth of Catholic Action (Azione Cattolica). There, she received a solid spiritual and human formation. In 1934, she became an effective member (socia effettiva) and a delegate for the youngest members. She was also involved with the Daughters of Mary and the Third Order of Saint Francis. Catholic Action, under the national impetus of its founder Armida Barelli, was promoting at that time a 'crusade for purity' that deeply marked the young girls of Orgosolo. Antonia was particularly moved by the story of the life of Saint Maria Goretti (who died in 1902 and would be canonized in 1950). She confided several times to her friends and family that, if she were in a similar situation, she would prefer to die rather than give in to sin.

On the morning of May 17, 1935, after attending parish Mass and receiving Communion, Antonia went into the surrounding countryside, to a place called Ovadduthai, to gather wood needed for baking the family bread. She was accompanied by a thirteen-year-old friend, Annedda Castangia. While they were gathering branches, a 19-year-old young man from the village, Giovanni Ignazio Catgiu, appeared and attacked Antonia with the intention of raping her. Panicked, Annedda Castangia fled, screaming for help. Antonia resisted her attacker heroically. She managed to escape him twice, but during her third attempt to flee, the young man caught up with her, threw her to the ground, and, mad with rage at her stubborn refusal, began to strike her violently with a stone. Antonia Mesina died from the blows of her attacker at the age of 15 (she would have celebrated her 16th birthday the following month). The autopsy revealed that her body had sustained 74 wounds, but that her purity remained intact. Her murderer was quickly arrested, tried by the Assize Court of Sassari, sentenced to death on April 27, 1937 (or August 4, 1937, according to some judicial sources), and executed by firing squad on August 5, 1937. Before his execution, he expressed his repentance and received the sacraments. Antonia's family publicly forgave him and prayed for his soul.

From the moment of her death, the reputation of Antonia Mesina's holiness and martyrdom spread throughout Sardinia. On October 5, 1935, Armida Barelli met with Pope Pius XI and presented the sacrifice of the young Sardinian girl as "the first flower of the Women's Youth of Catholic Action." The diocesan informative process opened in the Diocese of Nuoro on April 17, 1979, and closed on March 11, 1985. Pope John Paul II officially recognized her martyrdom in defensum castitatis (in defense of chastity). Antonia Mesina was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 4, 1987, in St. Peter's Square in Rome, alongside two other lay figures: the young Frenchman Marcel Callo and the Italian Pierina Morosini. During the beatification homily, the Pope emphasized the value of her testimony of purity and fidelity to the Gospel. Her mortal remains, initially buried in the Orgosolo cemetery, were exhumed in April 1983 and transferred to the parish church of the Santissimo Salvatore in Orgosolo. Since May 14, 1994, they have rested in a glass reliquary under the altar of the crypt of this church, dressed in the traditional costume of the brides of Orgosolo.

The spirituality of Antonia Mesina rests on simple yet profound pillars: the daily Eucharist, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and filial love for the Virgin Mary. Her holiness was not built on the extraordinary, but on daily fidelity to the humble tasks of her family life. As John Paul II emphasized, it was her constant 'yes' in the hidden service of the home that prepared her for her total 'yes' during martyrdom. Considered the 'Maria Goretti of Sardinia,' she is today invoked as the patroness of victims of rape and sexual assault. Her liturgical memorial is celebrated on May 17, the day of her birth into Heaven.