Beneath Mary's Mantle: Bl. Margaret of Castello (c. 1287-1320)
St. Dominic once had a dream in which he saw all the saints of the Order safely beneath the mantle of Mary, Protectress of the Order of Preachers. In this blog series, we’ll introduce our beloved Dominican Saints, learn about their lives and work, and come to see how they still inspire and pass on their gifts to today’s faithful.
Patroness of the Unwanted
Born: 1287 in Metola, Italy
Died: April 13, 1320 in Citta di Castello, Italy
Feast Day: April 13
Blessed Margaret was born into a wealthy noble family, but she was also blind, hunchbacked, and undersized, so she was despised and neglected by all, especially her parents. When she was 6 years old, they imprisoned her in a cell that was attached to a church in the forest near their home, and she remained there for 13 years. Nevertheless, she was cheerful, intelligent, and content, always devout and trusting in God. She saw all her sufferings as a means of deepening her love for God, growing in virtue, and following Christ more closely.
As a teenager, her parents brought her to a Franciscan shrine in Castello, Italy, hoping for a miraculous healing. When no miracle occurred, her parents abandoned her. She became a homeless beggar, but the people of Castello came to know her and took her into their homes. Wherever she went, she brought joy, kindness, and patience.
Margaret eventually joined the “Mantellate,” lay women in the community of the Order of Penance of St. Dominic. It was here that Blessed Margaret devoted herself to the service of God completely. She lived a life of prayer and penance for the salvation of souls, ministering to the sick, imprisoned, and dying. Her life renewed people’s faith and hope, and she worked many miracles.
When she died, the whole city of Castello mourned her and demanded that she be entombed in the city’s church, because they knew she would become a saint. At the funeral, a young girl who was mute and crippled was miraculously healed. She was the first of reportedly hundreds who were cured at Margaret’s tomb, where her body is still incorrupt to this day.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Blessed Margaret will be canonized on September 19, 2021. About 700 years after her death, she will be recognized as the saint that the people of Castello knew she would be. In these times when human dignity is so devalued, Margaret’s life of joy and faith in the face of rejection and suffering is an inspiration for all. Society tells us that there are some people who are worthless, but God tells us, in saints like Margaret, that all people, regardless of their abilities, are His children and of infinite worth.
Though blind and faced with her own disabilities, Margaret could see the needs of the poor and sick, and served them with all her strength. Though small and weak, Margaret’s acts of mercy inspired faith throughout Italy. Though rejected by her family, Margaret was filled with God’s love, and shared that love with everyone she encountered. Through the intercession of Blessed Margaret, may our world come to acknowledge the worth of all people, so that even those farthest from God may know His love and mercy.
Blessed Margaret, pray for us!
