S T . M A R G A R E T O F C A S T E L L O

About: Intercessory Prayer:

Patron of: Anti-abortion movements, O, St. Margaret of Castello, through your Disability, Vision impairment suffering and misfortune, You became Born blind, and had dificulty walking due to sensitive to the sufferings of others. Your a curved spine heart reached out to everyone in trouble – Abandoned at a local church by her parents The sick, the hungry, the dying prisoners. due to her disability Obtain for me the grace to recognize Jesus Started a school for children and took care in everyone with whom I come into contact, of children while the parents were working especially in the poor, [and] the unwanted! Obtain for me also the special favor which I Canonized April 24, 2021 - 411 and a half now ask through your intercession with God years after her

Born: 1287 died: 1320 Feast Day: April 13 This week for #FaithFilledFriday we are learning about St. Margaret of Castello.

In 1287, Margaret della Metola, an Italian Roman Catholic, was born to nobles Parisio and Emilia "blind with a severe curvature of the spine" or what is also known as a 'hunchback' and "had difficulties in walking; she was also a dwarf." Her parents, who were very prideful people and embarrassed by Margaret, hid her in a chapel for 14 years so no one would see her. It was a kind maid - not her parents - who named her Margaret.

Her parents eventually took her "to a [Franciscan] church where miracles were said to occur" in hopes of a "cure for [Margaret's] birth defects." However, when no such miraculous cure occurred, her parents abandoned her there. It was then that the "town's poor took her in and assumed care for her." Margaret "never came to resent or be bitter over her parent's decision." She was eventually offered a home in a , but their "lax manner of life […] soon conflicted with her intense faith and [Margaret] was expelled from the convent." The town's poor once again took her in and cared for her. "To thank them for their kindness, [Margaret] opened a small school for the children of the town where she instructed them in the faith and the , which she had learned during her time with the ." She also looked after the children while their parents were at work.

Eventually, Margaret met with some Dominican and was "accepted as a secular member in their third order." She received her which she wore for the rest of her life.

"Margaret's holiness was apparent to all in her life." When she died in April of 1320 at 33 years old, the "crowds at her funeral demanded that she be buried inside the church," which was an "honour reserved for very few." This was against the wishes of the parish priest, however, when "a disabled girl was cured at the funeral" he allowed for Margaret to be buried under the altar.

238 years after her death, St. Margaret's body was found to be incorrupt. She was beatified in 1609, and was canonized through a unique form of called equipollent canonization, on April 24, 2021 by Francis - 411 (and a half) years after she was beatified.

St. Margaret of Castello, Pray for us!