Feast Day: April 13
Patroness of: The unwanted, disabled persons, the blind, pro-life causes
Born: 1287 in Metola, Italy
Died: April 13, 1320
đź“ś Early Life and Abandonment
Saint Margaret of Castello was born in the small town of Metola in central Italy to noble parents. From birth, she suffered from numerous physical disabilities—she was blind, dwarfed, hunchbacked, and lame. Her parents, ashamed of her appearance and infirmities, kept her hidden away in a small cell beside their castle chapel for most of her childhood. She was never permitted to join the family or interact with the outside world. This physical and social imprisonment lasted about 14 years.
Despite being deprived of human affection and dignity, Margaret was flooded with divine light. She developed a deep interior life, marked by intense prayer, contemplation, and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Her only joy was in Christ.
Eventually, her parents took her to a shrine in Castello, hoping for a miraculous cure. When none came, they abandoned her in the streets. Alone, blind, deformed, and unwanted—Margaret turned wholly to Divine Providence.
đź’’ Life Among the Poor
Margaret was taken in by the town’s poor and came under the care of charitable families. Despite continual hardships, she showed unwavering joy, humility, and charity. She desired to join a religious order but was turned away due to her disabilities.
Eventually, she became a tertiary of the Dominican Order, living a life of intense prayer, penance, and service. Though blind, she became a spiritual light to many. Her wisdom, drawn from suffering united to Christ, made her a counselor and comforter for the townsfolk. She instructed children in the faith, visited prisoners, and cared for the sick and dying.
Her holiness became evident through her cheerfulness in suffering, her detachment from the world, and her fervent love for God. She was frequently seen in ecstasy and was believed to have the gift of prophecy.
đź•Š Death and Legacy
Saint Margaret died at the age of 33. At her funeral, a crippled child was miraculously healed—one of many miracles attributed to her intercession. The townspeople, not her family, insisted she be buried inside the church, where her tomb soon became a place of pilgrimage.
Although devotion to her began soon after her death, she was not canonized until 2021 by Pope Francis—though it is important to note that her cultus was confirmed by Pope Paul V in 1609, a traditional acknowledgment of her sanctity long before the modern canonization.
🌹 Virtues and Spiritual Legacy
Margaret’s life was one of triumphant suffering. Her story proclaims the sanctity of every human life, no matter how hidden, rejected, or afflicted. She embraced her cross and made it a ladder to Heaven.
Her virtues include:
- Profound humility
- Heroic patience
- Deep love of the Cross
- Absolute trust in Divine Providence
- Fiery charity despite personal sorrow
She is a powerful intercessor for the marginalized, disabled, and unborn, and a model of how God glorifies the weak to shame the proud.