Feast Day, April 13
St. Margaret of Castello was beatified on Oct. 19, 1609 and canonized on April 24, 2021. She was born
to a wealthy family, and when they saw that she was hunchback,
dwarf, blind and lame, they were ashamed of her and kept her hidden from
view. Eventually, to make sure nobody saw her condition, the
family kept her enclosed in a prison-like cell. One day they took her to a
Franciscan Shrine, but then abandoned her there.
Despite her miseries, Margaret was serene, cheerful and courageous.
She found strength in prayer, in daily Mass, in Holy Communion,
and eventually became a sister of the order of St. Dominic. She has become
an inspiration to those who are discouraged and tempted
to self-pity. Her story likewise provides a good examination of conscience.
If we were around at the time of St. Margaret and
knew that her family was keeping her in a cell, would we have spoken up for
her?
A Patroness for the Pro-life movement: St. Margaret of Castello
The pro-life movement has a new patron saint! (Fr. Frank Pavone, LifeSiteNews.com, April 30, 2021)
Pope Francis declares blind 14th-century lay Dominican a saint(Catholic News Agency)
Meet St Margaret of Castello, the pope’s unexpected canonization (The Pillar)
This Catholic Saint Would Never Have Been Born Today by Kevin Burke
More information on St. Margaret
Prayer in Honor of St. Margaret of Castello:
Father,
Your care extends to every human person,
No matter what afflictions they suffer,
And you uphold the dignity of every human life,
Regardless of the false ways that the world may calculate its value.
You gave us St. Margaret of Castello as a sign and a challenge.
You permitted your glory to shine through her human weakness,
And called those around her to love her
Despite her physical limitations.
Forgive us when we fail to defend the least among us.
Through the intercession of St. Margaret,
Give us grace to speak up for the outcast
and to welcome those who are rejected.
When this brief life is over,
Grant that we who have welcomed all our brothers and sisters,
May be welcomed by you into the life that never ends.
We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.