The shrine of Our Lady of Grace and Santa Maria Goretti in Neptune is the shrine that holds the body of the maiden, a martyr of purity. The shrine dates back to the 16th century and houses the crypt of St. Maria Goretti and displays the wooden statue of Our Lady of Grace.Tradition has it that the wooden statue landed on the shores of Neptune in 1550 from England after the Anglican schism. In England at that time, Catholic churches were being confiscated and statues of saints destroyed. So some sailors embarked the statues of Our Lady of Grace and other saints on a ship bound for Naples; however, the ship, due to a violent storm, landed in Neptune. Thus the statues of Our Lady of Grace, St. Roch, and St. Sebastian were placed in the then small church of the Annunziata. This landing was interpreted as a sign from Our Lady, so the three statues remained there, where they are still preserved today.
